Rebirth
by Jreaps24
Summary: Who would have imagined that a single steak dinner would turn into an exam to become a hunter? Certainly not Konoha's former unpredictable shinobi. M for violence which will be featured in this story.
1. Chapter 1

"Normal Speech"

'Normal Thought'

" **Demon/ Boss summon Speech"**

' **Demon/ Boss summon thoughts'**

 **Jutsus: Attack**

 _Flashback/ Writing/ TV_

 **Summary:** Who would have imagined that a single steak dinner would turn into an exam to become a hunter? Certainly not Konoha's former unpredictable shinobi

 **Author notes:** It's been a while since I last wrote something so I'm going to be a lot rustier than usual. Anyway, this is my first attempt at Hunter x Hunter. I told myself I wouldn't write one after the Chimera Ant Arc but I did anyways. Well, here goes nothing

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Presence of danger and death

Pale skin

Light Amber eyes

Potentially strange sexual nature

Naruto stared at the strange jester lookalike intently as he tried to figure out whether or not this individual was Orochimaru in disguise, a clone of Orochimaru or anything related to the late snake sannin. His eyes shifted from the figure to the badge on his chest displaying the number 45. How strange? First he was sent underground for simply ordering food. Was ramen and steak some sort of password? And now he was standing next to someone that reminded him of the snake sannin sporting a number below his.

Was this some sort coincidence or something greater than that? He returned his attention to the man in question only to find said person staring right back at him with a combination of insatiable bloodlust and something sexual in nature. A small bead of sweat traveled from his forehead. This guy was just as creepy as Orochimaru.

"Hi, my name is Naruto Uzumaki. What is your name you creepy, dangerous, probably kills people to satisfy some sort of sick amusement, questionable sexual nature fiend?" Naruto grinned cheerfully as his said these words. This in turn caused the pale skinned man to smile albeit creepily while those within hearing range flinched in a violent manner.

"Hello Naruto, my name is Hisoka and what a pleasure it is to meet you." Several individuals began to slowly move away from the homicidal clown making sure their movements weren't too sudden. The last thing they wanted to do was gain its attention. Naruto on the other hand couldn't help but sweat drop at how much this man resembled the late snake sannin. He even had the dark; you're going to die tone down to a T.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too." Naruto extend his hand out towards Hisoka which he took. The two shook hands shocking and further scaring those around them. "Ne Hisoka-chan, where exactly am I?" Hisoka's smile evaporated and his eyebrows rose slightly. This wasn't exactly an easy place to find. The only way for you to reach this area was via a personal guide or information one couldn't simply find on the web. You had to have some sort of powerful connection for that. Considering the fact that he didn't even know where he was to begin with most likely meant he somehow managed to discover this place by accident. He chuckled at such a thought then licked his lips in anticipation. Accidental or not, this boy had a powerful presence and he was eager to fight him. Just the thought of spilling his blood all over the floor or receiving fatal injuries excited him greatly. This was what he lived for after all. This was also one of the reasons why he came here.

"Hisoka-chan you're bloodlust's leaking everywhere." Hisoka blinked a few times as he regained control over himself. By now, there was a large gap between the other participants and the duo. He chuckled in amusement at the terror the others were displaying and the fact that this young boy in front of him had yet to budge a single inch after that last display. This boy was truly magnificent. As if suddenly realizing something, Hisoka turned towards the blonde kid with a puzzled look.

"Chan?"

Naruto puffed his chest out as he pointed his thumb to himself. "I may not look like it but I'm older than what I appear. I'm not sure how but after my battle with a few Otsutsuki members which ended with me kicking their collective ass of course, I woke up in this body in a dangerous forest that almost killed me on more than one occasion." His chest deflated as he continued. "I lost a great deal of power and my summoning contract." Without warning, Naruto slammed his face into Hisoka stomach as his eyes erupted into twin waterfalls. "I can't believe I lost my entire collection of sexy jutsu. I spent years perfecting them and now I can't even use them anymore. Why did Kami take those precious abilities away from me? I mean I'm a good guy right? What did I possibly do wrong?"

Hisoka awkwardly patted Naruto's back as he continued ranting about things he quite didn't understand. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Naruto's crying and ranting stopped. Naruto looked up with large teary eyes and a great deal of snot dripping freely from his nose. "You are a nice homicidal maniac Hisoka-chan and don't let anyone tell you otherwise." Then as fast as his tears appeared, all signs of his tears display vanish with the only signs being Hisoka's wet shirt. "Sorry about the shirt Hisoka-chan." Hisoka sweat dropped at this before answering his previous question as if nothing happened.

"This is the testing site for the hunter exams. Every year, people from all over the world come here in hopes of becoming a hunter." Naruto nodded his head in acceptance. This sounded similar to the chunins and jounin exams. If that was the case, then there was probably some sort of obstacle course, maybe a few fights, and a few deaths. Naruto glanced at his crazed companion. 'Scratch that last thought, there's going to be a blood bath here' he morbidly thought. There was no such thing of a little blood with this guy around. Naruto's attention went back to Hisoka as he voiced his next question.

"What's a hunter?" Hisoka allowed a smile to grace his lips once more scaring a few newcomers that just entered the floor. The sight of a jester with a cheerful smile along with the dangerous presence surrounded said jester sent chills down the spines of a lesser man. It didn't help that there was a large gap between the majority of the participants and the duo further cementing his status as someone dangerous. The fact that the small boy could stand so close to that man so casually must meant one of two things. Either the kid was just as crazy as the maniac but hid it well or he was completely naïve to the man's nature. Considering his appearance, it must be the latter. Either way, that boy was going to be dead soon.

"A hunter is whatever you want it to be" was Hisoka's vague response. Naruto paused for a brief second as if in deep thought then nodded his head once more.

"That sounds interesting. What's the max limit of participants?" Naruto scanned the entire room, curiosity shining from within. The other participants flinched as his gaze went pass them. In their minds, anyone associated with that beast was someone they should avoid for the sake of their own lives. If it turned out that this boy was as dangerous as the man, they were as good as dead. If it turned out to be the latter, they sure as hell didn't want to be the next victim. Only a few brave individuals glared at the duo while a select few stared back with curiosity of their own.

"There are no limits in the hunter exams. It's just a matter of showing up before the designated time. Once the test begins, they will no longer take any additional participants. Right now we have about 12 hours before the test begins." His body trembled in delight as dark thoughts filtered through his mind.

"Do you think you'll last that long Hisoka-chan?" The increase in bloodlust was not missed by anyone. In fact, Hisoka's bloodlust had almost the entire room on the edge.

"I'll have no choice but to endure." Hisoka glanced at his companion hungrily. Naruto's presence was making hard for him to remain calm. It was like dangling an apple in front of him, a nice juicy apple. He licked his lips once more in anticipation.

"Tell you what, if you manage to remain calm until the exams begin, I'll fight you in a nice isolated area. Oh, and you have to promise me you won't try to molest me or anything like that. I don't swing that way, no thank you. I'm a man of all man. I like curvy and bouncy." Drool pooled from his lips as images of sexy women filled his mind. His fantasy came to a sudden halt when whispers began. He glanced up to his new friend and was met with one of the most disturbing images. Hisoka was grinning painfully wide showing all of his pearly white teeth to the world while his bloodlust spiked to higher levels. Naruto laughed awkwardly as he scratched the back of his neck. 'That's definitely not creepy. This is going to be an interesting wait'

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **12 hours later**

A loud ringing sound penetrated the awkward silence and catching the attention of all. Naruto turned towards the source to find a tall man slowly descending from the ceiling into the middle of the room. "The call for applicants is now closed." As soon as he landed on the floor, he began walking by each candidate. "I announce the start of the hunter exam. Please come this way." As if prompted, the audience began trailing after him. The tall figure didn't even spare anyone a glance as he continued walking forward. "Let me remind you. The hunter exam is extremely difficult. And if you are unlucky or incapable, you may get injured or even die. Only those of you who don't mind that risk should follow." By now the entire room was directly behind him listening to his every word.

"All right, the number of applicants taking phase one is 420. Is that correct?" He continued walking without caring whether or not someone answered his question. After a few minutes of walking, he slowly picked up the pace until the others began jogging just to keep up with him. Once he was satisfied with the current pace, he maintained it.

"I'm sorry to introduce myself now. I am Satotz and I'm the proctor of phase one. I will be leading you to the test site for phase two! Now I'm sure that some of you may realize it by now but to keep up with me until we reach the phase two site is the task for phase one." Once he announced that tidbit of information, Satotz then proceeded to walk straight in silence.

Naruto jogged next to Hisoka to see how he was holding up. 12 hours of waiting must have been tough on killer. Naruto found himself laughing at that thought. That definitely wasn't a normal thought. It would seem that hanging around individuals like Orochimaru must have altered his mind slightly. That would explain the reason why he approached him. As soon as Naruto was beside him, he glanced at Hisoka's facial expression. Based on what he was seeing and sensing right now, Hisoka had managed to rein his bloodlust for the time being. But Naruto had no doubt in his mind that his bloodlust would only spiral out of control at a moment's notice. The question that remains is when.

After observing him for the last 12 hours, Naruto learned a few new things about the jester. The first thing he learned was the type of people Hisoka killed. Considering the slight spike in bloodlust upon seeing certain individuals, it would seem that Hisoka was targeting specific individuals probably being people with strength or potential. Then there was the incident in which an unfortunate person bumped into the jester right as said jester tried to leash his dark desires once more. The results weren't pretty so say the least. Hisoka removed one of the man's arms with a single playing card. Based on that alone, Naruto was able to deduce that Hisoka would not hesitate to strike anyone down who annoyed him or got in the way. Naruto turned his attention towards the proctor's direction as he maintained a light jogging speed.

 **30 minutes later**

'This is one boring exam' thought Naruto as he continued jogging. He absently jumped over another body as he maintained his speed. It would seem not everyone was physically fit for this exam. Still, he had never taking an exam this boring before. Both the chunins and jounin exams had some sort of suspense or thrill to it. This exam on the other hand had none of that. It was simply an endurance and mental test he deduced. No one but the proctor knew where the destination was or how long it would take to reach said destination. The only known knowledge was that Satotz would take them there eventually. Without knowing the destination, it becomes a lot harder for self-motivation.

'I still think it's boring but meh. Hopefully it gets a bit excited later on.' He leaped over another failed participant and continued jogging. 'Man, these people are dropping like flies. It's only been 30 minutes too.'

The sounds of wheels rolling against the cement floor beneath them caught his attention. He turned his to the side and found the source. It would seem that these four individuals either didn't get the memo about Hisoka or simply didn't care. Why else would they run so close to them whereas everyone else avoided them like a plague? Unnoticed to Naruto, Hisoka also took a quick glance at the group behind for a brief second before going back to focusing on controlling his bloodthirst. Naruto veered off slightly to the right just as the one riding the skateboard hopped off and joined the joggers.

"Hi, my name is Naruto Uzumaki. It's nice to meet you all." Naruto grinned cheerfully as he usually did. The small group of four turned towards the newcomer in surprise giving Naruto a full view of each individual. They were so caught up in their argument that they didn't notice him approaching them.

The first one to catch his attention was a young boy that had the skateboard. He had spiky silver hair, pale skin, and blue eyes. Jogging next to him was another equally young boy sporting long spiky black hair with green tips and hazel brown eyes. Trailing directly behind the two boys was an effeminate blonde with grey eyes, and a young man with black crew cut hair, and small brown eyes.

"Hi, I'm Gon" was the reply from one of the youngest. "This is Killua and the other three behind me is Leorio, Kurapika, and Tonpa." Leorio sighed in frustration.

"Gon, you can't just-"

"Who's Tonpa?" question Naruto as he continued staring at the only two individuals jogging behind the boys. Was Tonpa invisible? Gon turned his head and pointed at each individual. "That's Kurapika and that's Leorio." His eyes scanned the area as he tried to locate the last person. "There's Tonpa, all the way in the back." He pointed to a heavy set individual whom was currently sweating up a storm. "I wonder why he's all the way back there. Maybe he's conserving energy." Naruto snickered in response. In a strange way, this boy reminded him of his childhood days. It was actually refreshing in a way.

"Well Gon-chan, I'd like you to meet my homicidal friend Hisoka. He likes spilling blood." As if prompted, Hisoka turned towards the group and showed his pearly white teeth again. Bloodlust spiked for a brief moment before fading away. Gon merely waved cheerfully at the jester in a childlike manner thought part of him seemed a bit shaken by the display.

"You have some creepy friends Naruto-kun" commented Leorio. He was disturbed by the dark aura that came from the jester. Half of him wanted to turn around and run in the opposite direction but the other half reminded him of his dreams and why he was here. He could not afford to fail here. Killua watched number 44 wearily. He never imagined running into someone just like him at the exams. Kurapika glanced between the jester and the small blonde as he tried to figure out how someone so positive could associate themselves with someone so negative. Maybe opposites do attract in a way. It was then something clicked inside his mind.

"Chan?" That suffix was something one would add when the person was younger but Naruto looked about the same age as Gon.

Naruto's chest puffed up once more as he explained his reason. "I'm actually a lot older than what I appear. I'm not sure why I look this way but I think it's something to do with reincarnation or something along those lines." Kurapika's eyebrows rose slight at this.

"But wouldn't you have to die for that to occur?" Naruto nodded his head.

"I died fighting against a powerful clan or at least I think I did. The last thing I remembered was complete darkness as the dimension I was fighting in collapsed. I found myself floating in complete darkness for a bit then at some point I found a small light in the distance. When I went to the light, I woke up in some place called the Dark Continent." Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio openly gaped at Naruto while Gon merely nodded his head not understanding what the Dark Continent was. Even Hisoka's face reflected shock at this. Almost anyone aspired to become a hunter knew about the area.

The Dark Continent is the world that doesn't appear on the world map. It was a placed filled with unknown danger and mysteries with a survival rate of 0.04%. Apparently out of the 149 attempted voyages and the hundreds of hunters that ventured there, only 28 hunters from 5 voyages survived.

For Naruto to have survived such a journey must have meant that he was very powerful. But Naruto stated that he had died which clearly meant that someone or something was stronger than him. Kurapika shuddered at such a thought. To think there were monsters out there like that. Would he survive an encounter with them? Kurapika glanced back at the young blonde. For a supposed beast, he seemed friendly enough. In fact, he kind of reminded him of Gon. Of course this could all be a ruse created for them to drop their guards before destroying them. That was always a possibility but for some reason, Kurapika didn't believe that to be the case.

The statement about being older than his appearance echoed within the confines of his head once more. Maybe his age played a major role behind his lack of intent. Older people were generally wiser due to life experience. Or maybe he was some sort of monk in his past life if he truly reincarnated. The more he thought about it, the more questions appeared. Kurapika quickly shook his head banishing such distracting thoughts. Instead of questioning it, he should be counting his blessings instead. They already had a powerful killer in the form of Hisoka. The last thing they needed was another one. He silently thanked the gods that Naruto was not the same as Hisoka or they would all be in serious trouble. Little did he know was that both Leorio and Killua were thinking along the same lines.

Bloodlust flooded the area once more but unlike before, it was much more potent. Naruto smiled awkwardly when he saw the small dribble of drool leaking from Hisoka's mouth.

"I guess this is where we part ways for now. I'll see you guys later." He slowly made his way back towards his companion. "Hisoka, you're doing it again"


	2. Chapter 2

**3 hours later**

"Welcome to Milsy Wetlands also known as "Swindler's Swamp"." Satotz was impressed with the numbers he had so far. He had expected a lot more failures but it would seem that this year's crop had a great deal of potential hunters. "We will be venturing through here in order to reach phase two site. The strange creature here will resort to every trick to deceive people and turn them into food. This is why it's called the swindler's swamp." The shutters leading from the long tunnels began closing much to the horror of a few individuals whom were still trying to leave the tunnel. As soon as the shutters were fully closed, Satotz continued. "You must follow me carefully. If you get tricked, you'll die." This caused a stir amongst the surviving participants.

Having heard the next step, Naruto turned towards his traveling companion to see how he was holding up. It was then he realized that he had somehow managed to lose him during the last stretch of the tunnel. Naruto chuckled awkwardly at his mistake. 'Well it's not like it'll be hard to find him. I just have to wait for his bloodlust to spike again which shouldn't take long.'

8 minutes later, Hisoka's bloodlust spiked and Naruto quickly moved towards it whereas others moved away from him. It didn't take long before he found the jester in the middle of what appeared to be a crime scene. It would seem that he wasn't able to contain his bloodlust any longer and decided to kill two….. What the hell were those things? It looked like two monkey creatures tried to do a henge and failed for the most part. One of them almost had the henge correct but the other one messed up big time. And why did the ugly looking one have similar features of the proctor? Did he try to imitate his appearance to deceive the group? If that was the case, then should it have waited until they were in the fogs?

"I will take that as a compliment." Naruto's attention went to the proctor currently holding several playing cards. It would seem that Hisoka attacked the proctor as well. "But from now on, any violence directed to the proctor under any circumstances will result in an immediate disqualification. Did I make myself clear?" There was no anger behind Satotz's tone. It was as if he wasn't fazed by Hisoka's actions.

"Hai, I understand" was Hisoka's casual reply. Naruto could sense his thirst rising at rapid levels. It would seem that the sight of blood had caused a stir within him. It was only a matter of time before he struck.

"Anyway, we shall proceed with the exams. Please follow me" stated Satotz as he began leading the group once more. Naruto took this moment to jog towards the red headed jester catching his attention.

"So Hisoka-chan, where and when do you want to do this?"

The look that Hisoka was currently sporting promised nothing but bad intentions. "Very well Naruto-san, follow me. I have just the perfect place." Naruto grinned eagerly as he followed him away from the crowd. Kurapika, Leorio, and Killua sent Naruto a pitying look as they traveled with the group.

Satotz glanced at their retreating form in wonder.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Are you seeing what I'm seeing right now?"

"Are you for real?"

"That kid's still alive?"

"Look at that bastard? We should kill him while he's unconscious."

"Tch, you'll have to get past the kid first and I doubt he'll be an easy picking."

"We'll just have to wait patiently for now. As soon as the moment arises, we'll take both of them out."

"He doesn't even have a scratch on him. He's a bigger monster than that guy."

"Who the hell let monsters like this into the exam?"

Satotz watched in amusement as Naruto entered phase two site dragging Hisoka's unconscious form. Other than a few dirt spots, it appeared that Naruto didn't suffer any wounds. To pull off a feat like that was extraordinary. He knew number 44 wasn't a pushover if his aura and past was anything to go by. It would seem that this year's crop was truly extraordinary. Satotz turned his attention back to the audience then proceeded to withdraw and small handgun. He pointed the weapon in the air and fired once.

"Phase one has ended. Well done everyone. Here the Visca Forest Reserve will serve as the test site for phase two. Anyway let me officially congratulate you. All of you currently present have successfully passed phase one. I wish you all the best of luck with phase two." Once he finished his speech, he simply walked away leaving the contenders to do their own thing for the time being. He spared one last glance at number 45 as he placed 44 against a tree. '200 contenders have passed this exam but it's only a matter of time until those numbers drop with those two around.' He noticed movement in his peripheral vision.

Contenders 99, 403, 404, and 405 were moving towards the duo whereas majority was the others did the opposite. There were a handful of individuals that simply watched the scene, never moving from their current position. Based on their looks, they were weary of the duo but they didn't outright fear them.

'Perhaps I should stay and watch the fight' thought Satotz as he came to a complete stop. 'I'm curious as to what will happen next, especially considering who the two proctors are.'

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Oh the agonizing pain. Naruto-san you've hurt me so beautifully." Naruto snickered as Hisoka slowly sat up. Hisoka body shivered in delight as a new wave of pain erupted from his body. It felt like someone struck him with a truck and that excited him greatly. Just the thought of fighting him once more filled his heart with joy. It would seem that this exam was not a waste after all. It was in that moment that he noticed various food scents in the air.

"What's going on?" Amber eyes scanned the area as he regained himself. Based on what he was seeing, it would seem that there was some sort of cooking contest happening.

"Phase two revolves around our ability to capture and cook utilizing ingredients gathered from the forest and tools supplied to us by the proctors. I've already gone ahead and gathered everything we needed. In fact, you're roast pork is almost done. You just have to rotate it a few more times." Naruto pointed to the pig slowly rotating over an open fire. Hisoka glanced in the direction he was pointed and spotted the pig right away.

"Oh my, how generous of you." he allowed a smile to grace his lips as he rose to his feet much to the protest of his body. If anything, he enjoyed every second of it. Slowly he made his way to his cooking station and did exactly what he was told. Once the pig was complete, both Naruto and Hisoka carried both meals to the proctors before returning to their respective stations. This act caused several people to whisper amongst themselves.

"Leave it to a monster to save its kind"

"Is that even allowed? They should be disqualified for that."

"That bastard didn't have to lift a single muscle"

"We should have killed him when we had the chance"

"He could have been feinting unconsciousness the whole time. We weren't sure and no one was willing to see."

Buhara drooled in delight as he eyed the pork intently ignoring the audience. Unlike the other pork brought to him by the other contenders, he could already tell that these two would please him the most. He had observed everyone gather materials from the forest and was slightly disappointed for the most part. Almost everyone gathered the bare minimum materials to create a plain dish. Contender 45 on the other hand had gathered a quite a few exotic ingredients that could only be obtained from certain dangerous areas and he prepared two dishes one being for himself and the other for his unconscious friend. Buhara licked his lips and rubbed his hands together in anticipation. Even though 44 didn't perform the task at hand and should theoretically be disqualified, he simply couldn't bring himself to care enough to actually go through with it for two reasons.

The first reason was 44's presence and the fear he seemed to inspire amongst the others. He saw the fear filled looks from the others as they eyed his form. Most of them wanted 44 dead but fear stopped them. Based on those facts, failing him would be a waste of talent. There was also the fact that he would spare future proctors from him. Who's to say someone like 45 would appear next year to keep 44 in check? That was not something he was willing to gamble. The other reason stemmed from the fact that he was going to enjoy two delicious meals to himself.

As he went to retrieve one of the dishes, Menchi's nimble hands beat him to it surprising Buhara. It would seem that she was actually interested in someone's dish which was rare considering her exquisite tastes. She ripped a piece off and gingerly took a bite. Buhara watched intently as she chewed the small piece of meat and swallowed it. Menchi paused for a brief moment as the flavor danced about her tongue.

"This is actually delicious"

Buhara's lower jaw struck the ground with enough force to create a small tremor. She actually liked some's dish? Now he really had to try this. He quickly grabbed the other plate and bit into it. Stars appeared in his eyes as the flavors assaulted his mouth.

"SUPER DELICIOUS"

In the span of seconds he devoured the meat in his hands then snatched the one in front of Menchi much to her shock and disbelief. Several tick marks appeared on her forehead as her fellow proctor licked his fingers in delight. Buhara pat his belly a few times.

"Oh boy did I eat. I'm stuffed now."

Menchi struck the small gong stationed next to her. "It's over. One hundred and thirty roast pigs have been consumed." Menchi turned towards her partner and glared at him. "You didn't even fail a single contender. That's not judging at all." Buhara shrugged at this.

"Meh, I managed to lower the numbers and that's all that matters. Besides, we're not here to judge them on intricate flavors." Several tick marks appeared on her forehead at his dismissal of the issue.

"Well if that's the case, then shouldn't we fail number 44? I mean 45 cooked his meal for him." She glanced at contender 44 as he eyed the others intently. Something about his predatory gaze unnerved her.

"Sure but I'd rather not. Failing him would mean trouble for the next proctor and I doubt we'll have someone like contender 45 here to keep him on a leash. Besides 44 is more than qualified. I heard the only reason he failed last year's exam was because he mauled the proctor. I think we should pass him to spare future hunter exam contenders." For once in her life, Menchi didn't object. She felt the tension in the air and most of it stemmed from 44 and strangely enough 45. Then again seeing 45 did managed to beat 44 so their reaction was justified. Buhara tapped his friend regaining her attention.

"Are you going to start the next part Menchi?" Menchi laughed nervously as she scratched the back of her head. Using the gong mallet once more, she struck the gong again.

"For roasting a whole pig, one hundred and thirty challengers have passed. But things will only get harder from here. Unlike Buhara, I won't be easy. I will judge very harshly. The second half of phase two will be sushi." The moment she announced the next dish, most of the contenders stared at her in confusion.

"I don't suppose you know what sushi is Naruto-san" questioned Hisoka. Naruto slowly nodded his head.

"Of course I do" boasted Naruto. Based on the blank expression of the majority, it would seem that no one knew what sushi was. Only Hanzo seemed to have a clue as to what was going on. Based on that fact alone, there was a chance that most of them just might fail unless Hanzo blurted it out. But seeing him silently snicker, that didn't seem like it would happen anytime soon.

"Wait here for a second and I'll be right back." Naruto left a confused Hisoka and towards Gon's group with the intention of helping them. In a way, they reminded him of either himself or people from his past.

Both Kurapika and Killua had aspects that reminded him of Sasuke before the whole forth shinobi war. He could sense Kurapika's hatred dwelling from within ready to burst in a moment's notice. As for Killua, despite how much he hid it, he could feel the darkness in him. It reminded him of Hisoka and Sasuke after he joined up with the Akatsuki. Gon was definitely him through and through. Naruto blushed a bit in embarrassment on that one. To think he was that simple minded and naïve. Then again, nothing's changed much except that now he possessed the ability to detect people's true natures no matter how well it was hidden. As for Leorio…. He seemed like a nice fella.

"Gon, everyone" Gon, Kurapika, Leorio, and Killua paused mid step and turned towards Naruto. "Follow me and we'll succeed together" They all perked up at this. It would seem that Naruto knew what sushi was or so they hoped. He seemed confident enough. Naruto led the small group back to Hisoka then away from the test site to gather materials once more.

Menchi eyed the small group with interest as she wondered what exactly he was gaining from all this.

"I wonder what his sushi will taste like" Buhara thought out loud. "If it's anything like his roast pork" He trailed off as drool leaked from the corner of his mouth.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Examinee # 405 pass

Examinee # 404 pass

Examinee # 403 pass

Examinee # 45 pass

Examinee # 44 pass

Examinee # 99 pass

It would seem that Naruto's skill went beyond just roasting pork. He was very skilled at cooking and instructing others as well. Unlike the first part of phase one, Naruto didn't cook the meals for the others. Instead, he provided step by step instructions and assisted them whenever they seemed a bit stuck. After a few screw ups and corrections, they managed to produce some good sushi thus they passed. And it would seem that Naruto's companions weren't the only ones that benefitted from the step by step instructions. Several examinees had ease dropped on them which resulted in sushi actually looking like sushi. People weren't simply shoving fish into a clump of rice anymore much to her relief. She was actually close to snapping at these idiots. Now the only thing left to do was judge each sushi based on its taste.

Menchi glanced over to her companion as he devoured the latest failure. She had never in her life met anyone capable of eating more than him. It actually amazed her that he could still eat this much after consuming one hundred and thirty whole pigs. She was brought out of her musing as another examinee placed his latest dish in front of her. Using her chopsticks, she picked up one of the sushi from the dish, bit into it, and then gave the rest Buhara.

"It's too salty try again"

The contender glared at her as he stomped away in anger. Menchi sighed in annoyance at the latest failure. Despite the amount of information they now had at disposal, none of them were capable of making a decent sushi. And what the hell was everyone's problem? Cooking was a necessity for all hunters. How else would they survive harsh jungles or tough terrains without food? It's not like there were restaurants everywhere. Were they planning on surviving on rations the entire time? What if they ran out of that and had to hunt for food?


	3. Chapter 3

"This isn't going to end well at all." Naruto watched as Menchi's attitude seem to sour with each passing second. He estimated a few more minutes before she reached her limits. Once that happened, he could only imagine what would happen and none of it was pretty.

"Naruto-san, where did you get this fish?" Gon held up a strange looking fish that looked like a cross between an eel, a shrimp, and a crab. Naruto stared at the creature as he tried to recall where he captured it. Maybe it was one of those things he caught on the ocean floor. It certainly looked weird enough. He stared at the creature as he tried to recall where he caught it but came up blank.

"Not sure, I forgot" The others face vaulted at his offhand response. "Anyway I was thinking about making some super spicy sushi next. It'll keep us occupied for a bit plus you'll learn a bit of culinary skills. I'd imagine you need some sort of cooking skills for the hunter fields." The others silently agreed with the statement. Dying of starvation didn't seem pleasant.

"Where exactly did you learn how to cook like this Naruto-san?" questioned Kurapika. Was Naruto some type of master chef as well in his previous life? It didn't seem too bizarre at this point.

"Well, let's see" Naruto paused for a few seconds as he recalled memories of the past. "After stepping down as Nanadaime Hokage which is the village leader, I picked up cooking as a hobby. I learned most of my dishes from my wife Hinata-chan sushi being one of them and improved with time. I picked up a thing or two during my travels." Naruto smiled fondly as precious memories of his wife resurfaced. Every day with Hinata was a special day and he treasured every second.

"You had a wife? How old were you when you died?" Leorio had already mentally guessed his age to be somewhere around 40. He said he was older than he appeared and he had cooking skills that took years to accumulate. Then again he could also be in his thirties as well. The more Leorio thought about it, the more he began to doubt himself. Naruto placed his finger on his chin as he thought carefully. He thought back to the last birthday he celebrated.

"I believe I was 93 years old when I died" Hisoka's widened in utter shock and his skin paled matching that of the snake sannin. It would seem that Naruto was full of surprises. He abstinently wondered what else secrets he had. Hisoka licked his lips as a thought occurred. While his soul may be that of an elder man, his body was definitely that of a child, albeit a powerful one at that.

Naturally his body would naturally age thus increasing his physical strength as well. He would become much harder to kill. Just the thought of Naruto's potential excited him especially considering the fact that he was already ripe enough to take. Hisoka was looking forward to his next battle with Naruto but first he needed to recover. He was still feeling the pain from his last fight with him. Once he had recovered considerably, he would attack Naruto at the next opportunity.

Leorio openly gaped at the elder trapped in kid form. When Naruto said he was older than them, he was expecting some middle aged man not some old geezer. He was old enough to have great grandchildren. Kurapika sputtered in disbelief. Talk about old. He could have been the village elder where he came from. Killua and Gon entered a coughing fit having choked on their saliva. Naruto merely smiled at the group's reaction. This group was surely entertaining to say the least.

"Naruto-san, you're really old" commented Gon. The whole concept of an elder man in the body of a young boy was too much to process at the moment. He could feel his brain smoking from the overtime they were putting in.

"Considering my last occupation, being old is an achievement." Naruto smiled proudly that he did not die at an early age like most shinobi before him. When he was still a genin, the average life expectancy of a shinobi or kunoichi was estimated around twenty to twenty-five. There was only a hand full of shinobi that had managed to reach beyond that. People like the Sandaime Hokage and Danzo were some of the first few that came to mind. After the fourth shinobi war, the life expectancy drastically increased.

"What kind of occupation was that?" asked a curious Kurapika. Was it something similar to a hunter?

"Ninja" That one simple word prompted various reactions from his companions. Hisoka found himself surprised once more by the elder blonde. An image of Naruto wearing the same gear as Hanzo appeared in his head. The others were shell shocked.

"You mean like Hanzo" inquired Gon. Hanzo did say he was a ninja after all. Naruto thought about the bold shinobi as he mentally compared him to an average shinobi of his village.

"In a way they are very similar minus a few things." He paused for a brief moment as he tried to explain the shinobi and kunoichi of his world. "Imagine Hanzo but with the ability to create and control various elements such as fire, wind, and lightning, place people under illusions, or heal people, and summon large battle oriented animals whose size ranges from that of a small household pet to that of a giant. The ninja of my world use this internal energy called chakra and chakra is used for those techniques or jutsu I just mentioned." Gon's eyes lit up in glee as he imagined super versions of Hanzo utilizing various superhuman feats. Hisoka idly wondered if this chakra was anything like aura. But considering his statement when they first met, it would seem that they were completely different. Otherwise he wouldn't have lost access to his supposedly sexy jutsu whatever that was.

"I don't suppose you'll tell us you were some sort of sage too" Kurapika said jokingly.

"Hai, I was a toad sage"

…

…

…

"You're joking right?" Leorio stared at Naruto as he tried to decipher if he was simply joking around with them. Naruto merely shook his head.

"Nope, after my master died at the hands of his other students, I learned Sage arts from the toad elders making me a toad sage at the age of 16."

'Was there anything this guy didn't do in his previous life?' was the general thought that ran through the minds of everyone present.

"Naruto-san, you're amazing" Gon beamed at elder man in front of him. Naruto blushed slightly upon hearing this. It's been a while since someone looked at him like that. In a way, it reminded him of his days as a genin when Konohamaru and his friends would look up to him and his days as Hokage when various genins aspired to be like him. It felt kind of nice and weird at the same time. Hell, even after his days of Hokage, people still looked up to him like some sort of legend.

Gon suddenly perked up and turned towards the sky catching the attention of the others. It didn't take long before they saw what had caught his attention. It was an airship with the hunter's association emblem on it not that Naruto or Gon knew about.

Naruto glanced over to the other examinees to see what was going on at the moment. The scene he was currently witnessing spelled nothing but trouble. The other contenders were upset and both proctors looked as if they were ready for battle. Menchi probably failed the others for not being able to appease her taste buds and they weren't pleased by this. But what could they attain in attacking the proctors? Was it some sort of group revenge? The airship was probably someone head honcho or reinforcements sent here to deal with the situation.

Naruto deduced that one of two things would happen. The first was to send everyone packing and that his group would continue with the exams. The other option was to allow the others a second chance to pass a few more contenders onto the next phase. There was one way to find out.

He watched keenly as an elder man dropped from the skies in style. The elder man spoke to the female proctor and after a few bows and exchanges; the other contenders seemed visibly pleased. Menchi then pointed to the mountain prompting the elder man to nod his head. She also pointed towards them and said a few additional words. The elder man turned towards them for a few seconds as if judging them. Once he was satisfied with what he saw, he turned back to Menchi and exchanged a few more words. With the situation seemingly resolved, he called down his airship and the contenders began boarding.

"Well, let's see what's going on" With that said, Naruto grabbed the remaining sushi before leading the small group onto the airship. There was no point in wasting such good food.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Examinees 44, 45, 99, 403, 404, and 405, please follow me." Naruto didn't hesitate to follow the elder man in front of him. There had to be a reason why he was isolating them, probably something to do with the fact that they had already passed phase two or so he thought. Whatever the reason was didn't matter. The others followed suit curious as to what was going to happen them. As soon as they were away from the others, the elder man stopped and turned around before introducing himself.

"My name is Isaac Netero and I'm the chairman of the Hunter association and Head of the exam commission. From my understanding, you all passed the second phase thus you aren't required to retake it. With that being said, you are free to roam the ship until we arrive at our next destination. If you so desire, you are also free to watch the others. The decision's ultimately up to you."

Netero stroked his beard as he continued observing them. 44 and 45 were the strongest of the group, a quick glance was all it took to tell him that much. Both of them possessed powerful auras and a certain look about them. Contender 99 was also powerful in his own way but nowhere near 44 and 45 at the moment. He was definitely stronger than the other three. 403, 404, and 405, had a great deal of potential. With enough time, they would be a force to recon with. All in all, he was impressed with them. This year's hunter exams would surely produce some powerful hunters and he was sure of it.

"My 'this old man isn't what he appears' senses are tingling." Naruto grinned at the only man on this ship that was actually older than him. The others sweat dropped at this. An old man calling another man old, there was definitely nothing wrong with that statement.

Netero eyes shifted over to Naruto and their eyes connected. It was in that moment he saw a kindred spirit within the boy or that's what he appeared to be. His eyes reflected that of an aged warrior with an unbendable will.

'Oh my, what an interesting individual' thought the chairman. 'I'm interested in see him in action.'

"Guys, let's go exploring" Gon's head swiveled in various directions as he tried to decide where he would go first. This was the first time he's been on an airship. Whale Island didn't have anything like this. Then again, it was mostly a port of fisherman. There were hardly people willing to live on the small Island.

"I'll pass on that. I'm going to take this opportunity to rest instead" Leorio declined. "You never know when our next break will be." After running an 80 plus kilometer run followed by phase two hunting and cooking test, he was exhausted. He wasn't a stamina freak like the other contestants. He was just a normal guy amongst monsters. Kurapika couldn't help but agree with his logic. This was the perfect time to recharge for the next phase.

"I think that's a great idea Leorio. I'm actually going to do the same as well." Gon frowned slightly but quickly realized that Killua had yet to respond. Maybe Killua wanted to go exploring with him.

"I'll explore with you Gon. I'm a bored right now." Gon cheered in response then turned to Naruto as he awaited his response.

"You know what, sure" he shrugged his shoulders. "I can't fight Hisoka at the moment and Netero's about to leave soon so that he could monitor the others. Besides, it's not like I have anything else to do at the moment." Gon was very pleased with this. He proceeded to grab both of their arms and took off in a random direction leaving Hisoka and Netero alone.

"I guess this is my cue to leave then" commented Netero. He turned away from the jester and began making his way toward the other contenders. He was curious as to how many examinees would remain after phase two retake. Hisoka went to the nearest corned and sat down. Once he was in a comfortable position, he began building a tower of cards.


	4. Chapter 4

Current time: 5pm

Destination: Third exam site

Estimated time: 15 hours

"If we factor in 8 hours of sleep and 30 minutes for meal time, that'll leave us with 6 hours and 30 minutes to train. Once that time is up, I'll inform you all immediately. With that being said, feel free to attack me anytime now." Naruto crossed his arms as he eyed the two individuals facing him. As to what led up to this current situation, it started after their exploration of the airship. Once Killua and Gon had explored every nook and cranny of the flying transportation, they got bored. He was about to take a nap when Killua suggested that they train a bit before the next destination under the pretense of getting an edge over the others. His idea of training was a two on one match in which the two youngest would face the oldest. Naruto rolled his eyes at Killua's not so discreet attempt to use him as a measuring stick. Gon was the only one that believed they were getting prepared for the next part of the exams. Well it's not like he had anything better to do and he was a bit curious about their strengths.

Naruto tilt his head to the right dodging a hand thrust attack from Killua. Without missing a step, he brought his palm in an upwards thrusting motion striking his unprotected stomach. Killua's eyes went wide as he found himself flying towards an advancing Gon. The results of the collision sent them sparling to the floor.

"Attacking an opponent when he's lost in thoughts" he wagged his finger as if lecturing them. "Shame on you" The grin he was sporting told a completely different story. The two boys quickly untangled themselves then went back to a fighting stance. Killua scanned his form for any signs of weakness. Considering his relaxed stance, he was bound to find some. Then again he was relaxed when he initially stuck so he was probably baiting them. Seeing as he lost the element of surprise, Killua was forced to change tactics.

"Gon, you take the left side and I'll take the right." He was going to force him to divide his attention between them then strike when he had an opening. It wasn't an overly complicated plan but Killua was sure it would succeed.

Naruto watched as Gon and Killua dashed in opposite directions from one another. Once they were a safe distance away, the duo quickly changed directions and began sprinting towards him at high speeds. While their speed wasn't anything extraordinary, it was still quite impressive for them. It was a lot faster than majority of the contenders that entered the exam and a lot faster than he was during his academy days. Had they fought him during his genin days, they sure would have mopped the floor with his face.

As soon as the duo was close enough, Gon propelled himself in the air by pushing off the ground with a great deal of force. Since direct attacks wouldn't work due to the difference in speed, he needed to attack from an angle.

Killua on the other hand thrust his hand towards Naruto's shoulder. If he struck him hard enough, he'll be able to temporarily put his arm out of commission thus weakening him. As he approached his target, he noticed Gon's mega leap. His mind quickly ran through some calculations taking in the amount of force behind that jump, Naruto's form, and the ceiling. He winced at the obvious result of such an action. Gon was definitely going to regret his decision and soon. What Killua didn't factor into his calculation was the fact that Naruto noticed his brief distraction and capitalized on it.

Using his superior speed, he ducked beneath him. Using Killua's momentum, he tossed the now human dart forward to the closest wall. He quickly glanced up as Gon dropped from the ceiling with a rather large bump on his head. He silently chuckled at the young boy's plight.

"ITAI" Gon clutched his throbbing head from his failed assault. Killua sweat dropped from his position. This is not exactly what he had in mind when he made that plan. He gently rubbed his face to alleviate the dull pain he was experiencing from colliding face first into the wall. Inwardly he cursed himself for his brief distraction. This was definitely an amateur move on his part. He shouldn't be making mistakes like this during a fight. Had this been a serious fight, he probably would have been injured if not dead.

Gon slowly stood up once the pain subsided. He made a mental note to tone his jump down considerably or least experience a repeat. He had almost forgotten that he was within a confined area right now. He needed to be aware of his surroundings more than ever.

"That was an interesting attempt. I was nervous for a second." Naruto faked a look of terror as he stared at the two boys. Several tick marks appeared on Killua's forehead. This guy was mocking them. Adding salt to wound, Naruto then proceeded to fake a yawn. The tick marks on Killua's forehead increased in size.

"That's it" He pushed off the floor in an attempt to close the distance between them. He was going to show this old man a thing or two. Gon quickly followed suit with burning determination. He was not deterred by his initial failure. To him failure was just another lesson. Killua began his strike with a right jab but at a higher speed than his initial attack.

Naruto sidestepped his attack, ducked down slightly allowing Gon's right leg to sail pass him, and then propelled forward. Gon yelped in pain as Naruto's head struck rear. An image of a ram appeared in his mind as he face slid across the ground.

"Mooooove over"

Killua spun on the balls of his feet allowing him to adjust his position. Without missing a step, he jumped towards the blonde elder with his right fist cocked back. There was no way he could miss this attack now especially considering Naruto's crouched position.

Naruto leaned back as his left lashed forward as a counter balance for himself. By now both his back and head was adjacent to the floor. Killua stared in disbelief as he sailed over his target once more. As he sailed over his form, Naruto brought his left leg down as he leaned forward. Once he was back in crouch position, he kicked forward booting Killua in his rear.

"Bad Moooooove kitty boy" Killua's face slid across the floor mimicking Gon's earlier action. Killua quickly stood up and turned towards Naruto before the he could follow up with a strike. But oddly enough Naruto remained in the same position he started at. Several more tick marks appeared as a thought occurred. He was definitely underestimating them. Then again considering their failures so far, he had no reason to worry and that annoyed him. Granted he wasn't using his full strength or speed, he was positive the same thing applied to Naruto as well. He did beat Hisoka after all and walked away without a single scratch to boot and that itself was quite the accomplishment.

Killua quickly shook his head. He needed a way to somehow restrict his speed or boost his own speed somehow but how would he pull off such a feat? What Killua didn't know was that he wasn't the only one trying to figure out a way to restrict Naruto's speed.

Naruto watched as the two boys discreetly scanned the room while maintaining visual on his position. His mind went over their strengths based on the small amount of display. Granted it wasn't much to begin with, it was still enough for him to get an understanding of their strengths and weaknesses.

Killua was definitely an assassin and there was no doubt about it. He probably didn't notice it but he had yet to make a sound when he ran towards him. It was as if he wasn't there to begin with. Then there was his quick speed, precise attacks, and choice of attack. He probably wore a clawed weapon or his hand itself became claws allowing him to penetrate his enemies with ease. Against a lesser man, he would have triumph every single time. But against someone of strength, he was curious about that. He had met various assassins in his life and each of them reacted differently to a superior opponent. They would either fight until the death; retreat temporarily then strike when the opponent dropped his guard, or give up on the mission completely.

Gon on the other hand was a frontal assault fighter with raw strength. While he wasn't as fast as Killua, his speed wasn't something to scoff at. He reminded him of Rock Lee in certain aspects but most of the time he reminded him of himself. It was as if Gon was this world's version of him while Killua was Sasuke or rather part of Sasuke. Kurapika contained the other parts if the hatred within his heart was anything to go by. He made a mental note to speak to him about that so that he didn't go down the same path as he brother in all but blood.

After going over the boy's strength and weakness, a thought occurred to Naruto.

"Alright guys, let's put our fight on hold. I just thought of a plan that will actually help you two prepare for the next phase or I think it will." Gon and Killua relaxed their stance upon hearing this. Both of them were curious as to what this idea was. Any idea that involved getting stronger was something they both openly welcomed. Seeing as he had their undivided attention, Naruto continued. "At one point in time, I noticed that every living thing contain a certain type of energy within them."

"You mean magic" interrupted Killua. He had heard about the special abilities that only a few were capable of accomplishing from word of mouth. He also had the privilege of seeing a few of his family members use it at one point in time.

Naruto blinked as the last word slowly registered in his mind. "Magic?" he questioned. Was that the name of the energy? How peculiar?

"If you're talking about the energy in your body then the answer is yes. I don't know much when it comes to the technical parts. Everything I learned is through trial and error. Now before we begin-"

"Wait" Naruto stopped his speech upon Gon's request. Gon sniffed the air a few times as if he detected something or someone. "Kurapika and Leorio are heading this way. They should be here in a less than a minute."

'That's some incredible nose he has.' Naruto was a bit amazed at the young boy. He was like an Inuzuka member. Did a member of that clan reincarnate here as well? It sure as hell couldn't be Kiba though. Kiba was too brash and boastful while Gon was simply cheerful and honest. Maybe it was one of the lesser members.

The three waited patiently as Leorio and Kurapika entered the room just as Gon predicted. Based on their facial expression, it would seem that they were bored and curious. Little did they know how accurate that statement held.

"What are you all up to?" Leorio yawned a bit as he voiced his question. Kurapika remained silent seeing as Leorio beat him to the punch. This was the reason why he and Leorio decided the search the ship for the trio.

"We're going to learn magic" was the rapid response of Gon. His voice was saturated with excitement only a boy on his birthday was capable of producing. Leorio and Kurapika's eyebrow rose but none of them commented. Instead, they grouped around the elder blonde to see what Gon was talking about. Once he saw that he had their attention, Naruto began explaining a brief description that led him to the discovery of this magic energy.

"When I woke up in the Dark Continent, I was attacked by all sorts of dangerous creatures and all of them used energy or magic as Killua called it. The attacks were extremely devastating and would have killed me if it hadn't been for my healing ability. Anyway, sometime during my fight to stay alive I took a blow to the chest. Not a second later, my own body began emitting the same energy they were tossing around and with some trial and error; I managed to learn how to utilize that energy." Naruto paused to allow the information to sink in then continued.

"Based on my observation, each creature possessed different abilities regardless of whether or not they were of the same species. This led me to believe that each magic user will possess different abilities. As to what those factors are, I'm not sure at this moment. There's a great deal of information I lack right now but I do plan to investigate that later on. Anyway, my plan is to unlock the energy within and help you contain it so you don't end up fainting like I did." He shivered as memories of his vulnerable moments resurface. Being unable to move in a hostile environment was one of the worst things that happened to him since his arrival.

"Once you're able to summon the magic and keep it around your body, I'll leave the development of techniques to you guys. How does that sound?"

"Seems fair enough" Kurapika didn't see anything negative about that offer. If anything, they were all gaining something at the price of nothing.

"I'm in" As a normal man amongst monsters, Leorio wasn't going to let an opportunity like this slip by. It was in this moment that he was grateful for his decision to check on both Gon and Killua instead of remaining asleep.

"Alright guys, I will begin the process right away but before I do so, I should tell you all something. The method I'm about to use is going to be a bit painful but there won't be any injuries that will prevent you from taking the third phase." Satisfied with his little warning and the lack of hesitation amongst them, Naruto allowed a smile to grace his lips.

"Alright guys, let's get this process started"

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **15 hours later- Third exam site**

"Naruto-san, thank you for teaching us magic" Gon bowed his head to show his appreciation towards the elder shinobi. Naruto had done exactly what he had promised. He unlocked their magic as they began referring to it as and taught them some basic applications for it. Naruto quickly waved him off dismissively and stopped the others from following Gon.

"Please, there's no need to thank me. It really wasn't much. The only thing I did was teach you something you'd have discovered later on."

"But we wouldn't have learned it during the exams" stated Kurapika. "Now we have an advantage of most of the examinees which will in turn increase our chances of passing the hunter exams and for that I am grateful." Leorio nod his head in agreement showing Naruto that he agreed with what was said. Naruto grinned sheepishly as he scratched the back of his neck. He still didn't think it was a big deal for him but the others seemed to think so.

"Good morning examinee, my name is Beans." Naruto's attention quickly shifted to the speaker where he was greeted to the sight of what he considered a human jelly bean wearing a suit. "I'm the Hunter Association Chairman's personal secretary and I'm here to explain the third phase. We are currently standing on top of the trick tower which is the test site for phase three. Anyway the task in this test is very simple. Reach the bottom of this tower alive within 72 hours. The test will now commence in 3…2…1…0. Good luck everyone." The bean-like creature returned to the airship and fly off immediately leaving 100 examinees on top of a circular tall tower.

Naruto blinked owlishly before returning his attention to his companions. "Well, I guess this is where we part ways then or at least for now. Meet me at the bottom" He gave them as thumbs up and smiled brightly at them as he walked away. His destination was the edge of the tower.

"I have a feeling he's about to do something ridiculous" was Kurapika offhand remark. Leorio silently agreed to his follow blonde. After spending enough time with Naruto, he realized just how bizarre he could be at times. Maybe it had something to do with old age or in his case old spirit. It would seem that being in a young body didn't matter one bit.

"I bet it's going to be super awesome though." Killua's grin by now resembled the cat that ate the canary. Gon quickly bobbed his head up and down in an agreement. Images of Naruto's next performance conjured one after another, one more awesome than the other. There was no way Naruto would do something half assed.

Naruto slowly made his way towards the edge of the tower and looked down to get a better view of the ground level below. His mind quickly went over the task at hand. 'Let's see, I have 72 hours to get from the top of the tower to the bottom alive. There were no rules as to how we can get down the tower so it's safe to assume that we can simply climb down. But that doesn't seem excited in any way or form.'

He eyeballed the distance as an idea occurred. 'I could freefall for the most part then use the wall to slow down until I reach the ground but will that actually work? I mean it sounds pretty solid when you think about it right?' He placed a finger on his chin as he contemplated whether or not he should make the jump or not. The worst case scenario he could think of was breaking some bones then wait to recover.

…

…

His head snapped in the direction of wings approaching the tower. Without wasting another second, he sprinted in the direction it was coming from. As Naruto approached the source of the noise, he was able to spot several weird creatures flying towards a brave hunter that decided to climb down the towers using nothing but his hands and feet. Naruto's eyes widened slightly as his brain hatched a new daring and ingenuity plan that he was sure to work. Not only was it full proof, but it would be a fun plan as well. A large grin made its way to his face. He had discovered how he was going to beat this phase with style.

As soon as the creatures were close enough, Naruto leaped onto one of them and delivered a devastating punch directly to its head killing it instantly. Before the bird began to descend, Naruto leaped from its corpse and proceeded to dispose of the second and third creature leaving only one. With those three creatures down, Naruto was free to execute his plan. He leaped onto the back of the fourth creature and plunged his hand into its left wing severely injuring it. This in turn caused the creature to cry out in pain. Unable to fully support its body with just one wing, the creature dropped from the sky. Survival instincts kicking in for the creature as it began flapping its only uninjured wing twice as hard to minimize the impact.

Participant number 86 saw what Naruto was doing and took a chance. He quickly pushed himself off the wall and rotated his body so that he was facing downwards. As soon as his body impacted the creature, he placed a strong hold on its skin and held on for his dear life. Naruto grinned wildly as the creature spiraled downwards until it struck the floor kicking up dust in the process. Number 86 was flung onto the floor earning a few scratches not that he cared. He was just glad to alive and at the bottom of the tower.

Naruto quickly delivered a finishing blow to the creature ending its life then proceeded to hop down leaving its corpse for any hungry creature.

"Man, I love when a plan come together. Hey 86, let's go find the entrance. The faster we get there, the better it is for us." Number 86 nodded his head at this. He didn't seem bothered by the fact that he was stuck with someone capable of beating the killer jester unharmed. In fact, he seemed a bit at ease around him. Unlike 44, 45 didn't seem to emit any kind of dark aura whatsoever. If he hadn't witnessed him dragging 44's body during the first phase, he probably wouldn't have thought much of this kid. He actually appeared normal.

Number 86 merely shrugged his shoulders as he accompanied the young boy into finding the entrance. There was no point in dwelling on unnecessary stuff. The only thing that mattered at this point was finding the entrance so that he could finish the exam in record time and relax for the next 3 days. He glanced over at the young boy as a thought occurred. 'If I enter the building before him, I could claim first place.'

Naruto of course noticed this and slowed his pace considerable. If this man wanted first place that badly, he could have it. He didn't care which order he finished the exam. That was irrelevant at this point. Besides, it's not like first place position meant anything with the other phases around the corner.

After a few minutes of walking, both Naruto and number 86 found the entrance. As soon as the goal was within sight, 86 increased his pace passing Naruto and entered the building. The prison guards allowed both of them entry without a single protest much to the joy of 86. The duo soon entered an empty area when an announcement was made.

"Congratulations number 86 on making first place at 6 minutes and 20 seconds. Second place is number 45 at 6 minutes and 21 seconds."

Number 86 pumped his fist in triumph while Naruto simply plopped himself against the closest wall.

"And now we sit here for the next three days"

Number 86 dropped face first to the floor upon hearing this. He had never taken into consideration what would happen once he finished the exam early.

"Well if you're interested, I do have some playing cards I snagged from Hisoka-chan." Number 86 perked up at the mention of playing cards.

"Sure, what kind of game are we playing?"


	5. Chapter 5

'He looks like a cross between man and hawk' Naruto watched as the examiner for the third phase gathered the passing examinees. He scanned the area taking note to those whom passed as was pleased that his friends were amongst the group. They looked a bit ruffled but other than that, they seemed perfectly fine. His eyes caught a glimpse of Tonpa trailing behind them and his mind immediately put together what probably took place during the phase. Based on the information he gained from 86, Tonpa was the self-proclaimed rookie crusher. He would fail the test just so that he could retake it with the intention of crushing a rookie contender in the cruelest way possible. It would seem that he took delight in destroying the dreams and ambitions of others.

Knowing about this man and seeing the condition of his friends, Naruto's guess was that he probably made several attempts to hinder or sabotage them. The fact that they still managed to succeed meant that either his plan didn't go as planned or he wanted to sabotage others in the next phase. Naruto narrowed his eyes at him. Maybe it's time someone gave him a taste of his own medicine. Several ideas processed though his mind as to how he was going to make this man quit his shenanigans. Of course none of his plans involve killing and maiming him. No, he was going to scare him so bad, he'll give up his rookie crushing ways.

Once the examinees were gathered around, Lippo began talking. "Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to start off my congratulating you all for managing to escape Trick Tower. As of now only the fourth phase and final phase remains."

The knowledge that they were this much closer to passing the exams pleased quite a few people. The others of course were aware that things would only get tougher thus there was no time to relax.

"The fourth phase will take place over there, on Zevil Island." Lippo pointed to an Island behind him in the distance. "Anyway, let us proceed" With a snap of the finger, one of his workers came forward pushing a small box device on wheels. The worker pushed the device next to Lippo and stopped. "I need you all to draw lots to determine who will hunt and who will be hunted. In this box lie fifty numbered cards." He motioned to the strange box device next to him before continuing. "In other words, your ID numbers are on the cards. Now I need you all to draw a card, in the order by which you completed phase three. Will the first person come forward"

Number 86 puffed his chest with pride as he made his way towards the box. This was the greatest moment of his life. He had managed to beat everyone including the biggest monsters to the finish line. Granted it was all thanks to number 45 and his crazy plan, he still took that as a victory regardless since he did survive the fall and make it to the destination. He reached into the box and pulled out a seemingly blank card then returned to the crowd. Once he had his card, Naruto stepped forward to grab his own card before returning to his original position. For the next few minutes, each contender stepped forward and retrieved a card.

Lippo looked into the box and noted that it was now empty. Satisfied with the turn of events, he proceeded to explain the next step. "Now that everyone's taken a card, please remove the seal."

Naruto peeled back the sticker on his card revealing the number 16. If memory served correctly, number 16 was Tonpa. But what exactly did it mean for Tonpa? He immediately received his answer as Lippo continued.

"This card indicates your target."

That lone sentence drew a devilish grin from Naruto. Here he was thinking about ways to get at the rookie crusher and now he was his official target. It would seem that Karma wanted him to do her bidding. The other contenders quickly covered and removed their own tags as a means to make things difficult for their hunters. Lippo smirked at their reactions as he continued explaining the steps to the fourth phase.

"This box has recorded which card each of you drew. This means you're free to dispose of the cards if you wish. The objective is to steal your target's ID tag. Naturally you're free to use any method you choose to steal the ID tags and that includes killing your target and retrieving the tag from his corpse" This tidbit of information placed the entire group on the edge. Lippo's smile only increased as he held his hand up catching their attention once more. This final information would no doubt amplify the tension that's already in the air.

"Listen carefully, your target's Id tag is worth three points. Your own ID tag is also worth 3 points. All other ID tags are worth one point. You'll need six points to advance to the final phase. So while on Zevil Island, you must gather enough ID tags to total 6 points. That is the condition for clearing the Hunter exam's fourth phase."

And just as he imagined, almost every hunter swerved around cautiously. The idea that one of these contenders were going to hunt you down later on with permission to kill you for your id tag didn't seem so comforting. The only thing comforting those individuals was the fact that nobody bothered to remember every single person's badge number. I mean who or why would anyone spend time trying to remember the names, faces, and badge numbers of every single contender? There was simply no point. The only logical thing to do was remember the most dangerous contenders of the group such as number 44 and 45. 44 were chosen by the majority due to his insatiable bloodlust and his tendency to kill without remorse. There were also number 45 due to his victory over 44 without a single scratch. To pull off such a feat was something no ordinary man could have accomplished. With that being said, Naruto was labeled as something akin to a monster.

"Now the boat to Zevil Island will leave in a few minutes" Lippo stated. "Anyone that doesn't board the boat will be disqualified from the exams." As soon as those words left his lips, most of the examinees quickly made their way towards the boat where they were greeted to the cheerful face of a young female with fair skin, short red hair, and yellow eyes. Based on the logo on her shirt, she was a crew member of the association's exam.

"Naruto-san that was awesome" Naruto turned his head upon hearing this. It was then he noticed Gon, and the others casually approaching him.

"A few others tried to copy you but failed miserably" chimed Killua. His cheerful demeanor and the contents of the story did not match up one bit. "They had someone climb down the tower to lure those things. When those things showed up, someone attempted to copy you but they jumped into the thing's mouth or missed the creature completely. The climbers were eaten or fell to their deaths. After three or four failures, no one else made the attempt. That was the funniest moment of my life." Killua laughed as images of the failed attempts resurfaced.

"Well you did make it seem so easy" Leorio thought about attempting that stunt but his rational side plus Kurapika's explanation that there might be hidden doors stopped him and boy was he glad. The thought of being eaten or dropping to his death didn't appease to him. He liked the concept of staying alive.

"Well hello there examinees, welcome aboard." Naruto turned his head forward and sent the young redhead a sly wink as he boarded the ship. The examiner blushed a bit at his bold action. She took a quick glance at the dock to see if anyone remained behind but much to her surprise, no one backed out. Once everyone had boarded the boat, the female examiner gave the helmsmen the signal to leave. She did have a schedule to keep after all.

Now content with the proceedings so far, she took a deep breath and slowly released it. Using her most cheerful tone, she began her well planned speech to encourage the contenders before they started phase four.

"I'd like to commend everyone on board for their excellent work during the Hunter Exam's third phase. My name is Khara and today I will serve as your guide. It will take 2 hours for this boat to reach Zevil Island. All fifty applicants remaining here are automatically qualified to take next year's exam". She sent a cheeky wink towards the examinees then continued. "So if you fail this year, don't feel bad. Please try again next year….." She trailed off when she realized just how little affect her speech had on the audience.

'T-this is so depressing' a large bead of sweat trailed down the back of her neck. This was the most awkward moment of her day. It looked like Lippo had outdone himself with his performance. A small clap caught her immediate attention. It was the cheeky little blonde that winked at her. Did he have some type of death wish or something with this little stunt?

Several examinees near the boy shifted away as if trying to put as much distance between the boy and failing. Several others took quick glances at him as if they were weary of him. And it wasn't just the boy they seemed nervous about. Khara noticed several others looking at the jester and his barely concealed bloodlust.

'This is going to be a long ride' she absently thought. She was definitely not going to enjoy this trip. She smiled cheerful as she made one last statement. "Well, you're free to do as you like for the next two hours. Please enjoy the boat ride." She proceeded to walk away from the most depressing scene to relax and think about happier thoughts.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 _#16_

 _#44_

 _#197_

 _#198_

 _#199_

"So we have Tonpa, Hisoka, Amori, Imori, and Umori as our respective targets" Kurapika was once again surprised by the elder. Did he memorize every contender? As if reading his mind, Naruto answered his unvoiced question. "No I didn't remember everyone's name, face and id number. I only remember those I mentally assigned nicknames and those I consider friends being you guys. Tonpa's nickname is worm because he's a slimiest person here. Hisoka's nickname is Orochimaru clone since he reminded me of him. Amori, Imori, and Umori are the stupid brothers because they look the part."

Several sweat drops could be seen from the others. Kurapika could only shake his head at his simplicity. And to think he pegged him as some old scholarly sage of some sort. In a way, he acted just like… Kurapika glanced at Gon then to the former toad sage. Yep, he acted like an older version of Gon. Was this what Gon would become in the future? That was an interesting thought.

"Well this will make things easier on our end. Now that we know who our target is, the only thing left to do is hunt them down and take it. Examinees 197, 198, and 199 tend to travel in groups. Killua, Kurapika, since our targets are traveling together, we could form a team for this proportion. With the three of us, we'll be able to pass this phase in a breeze." Leorio was feeling a lot more confident at the moment. After witnessing just how strong his friends were minus Naruto during the trick tower, he had no doubt in his mind that they would easily triumph over the stupid brothers. His mind came to a halt at his reference to the three. 'It did seem a bit catchy' he thought.

Killua released a low whistle when he saw Gon's target. "You must be the unluckiest person right now."

"I know" Gon scratched the back of his head nervously.

"I could give you a hand if you want" offered Naruto. He was well aware of the gap between the two. It was like comparing night to day. This was beyond Gon's current level. Gon gingerly shook his head declining the offer. He was also aware of the gap but he didn't want to pass the exam on someone else's strength. He wanted to pass this exam with his own two hands.

"I don't have to fight him. I just need to figure out a way to retrieve his id tag without his notice." Naruto smiled at his declaration. He was a brave kid. Most people in his shoes would have jumped at the opportunity to get assistance from the one person capable of defeating Hisoka. Gon once again proved that he was an exceptional person.

"Very well Gon, I'll leave Hisoka to you then. Just remember the reason why you came here to take this exam and you'll be fine." Of course he had no idea as to why Gon wanted to be a hunter but it did seem like a good speech in this moment. Upon seeing the determination enter his eyes, Naruto was sure the little speech worked. Whatever that reason was must have been strong. Naruto's head shifted to the left as Hanzo slowly approached the group. His eyebrow rose slightly as he tried to figure out what would the ninja of this world want with him.

As soon as he was close enough, Hanzo bowed his head slightly as he greeted himself. "My name is Hanzo." Naruto followed suite out of respect.

"Hello Hanzo, my name is Naruto Uzumaki. Is there anything I can help you with?" He smiled a bit more cheerfully this time to alleviate any tension he may or may not have. Hanzo hadn't shown any discomfort around him yet then again he was never really close to him to begin with.

"Yes, I couldn't help but notice something about you that I simply couldn't ignore." Naruto's eyebrow rose even further but remained silent to see where this was going. Hanzo for a brief paused as he gathered his thoughts together. "Are you a ninja like myself? You have the presence of a shinobi and you carry yourself as one. As a proud shinobi, I learned the ability to spot others such as myself."

This was not something Naruto had expected at all. Then again he didn't really have much of an expectation. Now back to the question. Was he a shinobi or not? That was a good question indeed. He had retired from the shinobi occupation at some point during his life to travel the world just like Jiraiya. But even so, he was still considered a shinobi by many others. It was as if he had only retired on paper. Was it possible for a shinobi to truly retire? Did being a shinobi went beyond the occupation itself? If that was the case, then the answer to Hanzo's question was obvious then.

"Hai, I am a shinobi and I hail from the once glorious village Konohagakure but that's a thing in the past." Hanzo grinned widely after hearing this. That explained how he was so skilled. He was probably an elite ninja too. "Oh and just out of curiosity, I don't suppose you'll tell me if I'm your target or not." After seeing the results of his fight with Hisoka, he was weary of him much like majority of the other contenders. Anyone strong and crazy enough to attack and maul an examiner was someone to be weary of. Anyone capable of defeating that person was someone that you should definitely avoid even if that person seemed friendly enough.

"No you're not my target Hanzo." Hanzo released a sigh of relief. "My target is actually Tonpa." He grinned evilly as his target began sweating heavily. It would seem that Tonpa was eavesdropping on their conversation, probably looking to get some Intel to trade later on. Tonpa's sweat intensified when Naruto turned his attention to him. Several other eavesdroppers found themselves pitying the chubby man. To have the top predator on your tail was bad luck but at least it wasn't them.

Tonpa's heart hammered within the confines of his chest at the revelation that the strongest contender was hunting him for this part of the exam. And it wasn't just that thought that scared him. No, it was his eyes that promised nothing but misery that scared him as well.

Sweat poured freely as he questioned a certain god or goddess as to why he had Naruto of all people as his hunter. Maybe this was a sign for him to leave the exams right now. It's not like he came here with the intention to win. No, he came here to break the dreams and ambitions of rookies alike and he had done exactly this. The only reason he remained this far was to gather more information for future endeavors and he had accomplished that as well.

'Wait a minute'. Tonpa's thoughts came to a sudden halt. 'I've accomplished all my goals for the exams this year. What am I doing getting all worked up for nothing?' His heart rate slowed down considerably and his mind slowly became clear allowing him to formulate his next plan. In the span of seconds, his intelligent machine of a brain formulated the greatest plan in all of history. In fact, his plan was so great that not even Naruto would be able to defend himself against it. Tonpa grinned widely ads he stared down the beast in human form. The only thing left to do was execute his plan.

Tonpa slowly made his way towards his hunter with confidence in each step catching the attention of those around him. As he neared his target, he slowly rolled his sleeves up as if preparing for a fight. By now, every other contender was watching with mild interest. Tonpa came to a complete stop once he was within arm's reach of the blonde elder.

'Now to execute my brilliant plan' with that last thought in mind, Tonpa reached in his pocket and pulled out his number 16 tag. With the tag firmly in his palm, he dropped right next to Naruto and walked away feeling as if he was on top of the world.

"Khara-san, I quit. I'll try again next year." Tonpa slowly made his way towards the shell shocked examiner. Yep, with him out of the exam he was safe from whatever scheme Naruto had planned in store for him and Hisoka's blood fest. He was no free to crush future rookies next year.

His audience shook their heads at the man's cowardice. Phase four hadn't even hadn't began yet. Naruto on the other hand sweat dropped at what just escalated right before him. He didn't expect Tonpa to pull a move like that and now he was outside his reach. Tonpa had successfully avoided a great deal of humiliating pranks he had mentally prepared within his mind. His eyes went down to the tag on the floor. He slowly reached for the id tag and picked it up before placing it within his pocket.

Well, it would seem that he had managed to pass phase four before it even began and his prank target had made was untouchable now. 'I could always target the other competitors I suppose'

A cold shiver ran down the spines of the others and they found themselves moving away from the blonde elder for unknown reasons.


	6. Chapter 6

'The tension's thick enough to cut with a knife' Khara stared the contenders as beads of sweat dripped from her neck. She knew the competition was fierce but this was ridiculous. She had been a part of several exams in the past but this was by far the most awkward one she's been in. There were usually a few cocky individuals bragging about how he was going to come out on top or that guy that can't seem to shut up. But this group had none of that. Even the top examinees were extremely quiet and that only added to the tension already in the air. She idly noticed the former contender Tonpa if she recalled in the corner of her peripheral vision. He was currently relaxed in one of the corners of the small boat.

She had heard through the whispers of others how when he found out he had number 45 as a hunter; he immediately gave his badge up and quit the exam. Her eyes quickly went to the young boy whom was currently telling a story to number 99, 403, 404, and 405. He didn't seem like someone that could inspire such terror from the majority of the group. If anything, he looked like a sweet young boy but then again he could just be hiding it. After all there had to be a reason why everyone seemed weary of him.

The boats complete stop brought her back to the task at hand. She turned to the side as her crew members began setting up a ramp leading to the island. Once everything was all set to go, she turned her attention to the examinees as they stared at the island intently, no doubt making a plan or several. She cleared her throat regaining their attention then started speaking using her most peppy tone. "Thanks you for your patients everyone. We have finally arrived at Zevil Island." "Now please disembark in the order by which you cleared the third phase." She pulled out a small stopwatch.

"After each person disembarks, we'll wait two minutes before the next person's turn. You will stay on the island for exactly one week. During that time, you must amass your six points of Id tags and return here. Alright then, the first person may start."

Contender 86 didn't waste a second as he bolted off the boat in record time. The faster he put distance between himself and his potential hunter meant the better. Khara gawked at the speed he displayed. Boy did number 86 seem motivated. She immediately pressed a button on the stop watch to begin the 2 minute countdown in which the next person could leave the boat. After 2 minutes had passed, she called for the next person. "Next"

A swift breeze passed her quickly surprising her once again. She didn't get a glance at who it was but guessed it was number 45 since he was no longer on board. 'It looks like they're both motivated' She quickly repeated the process of starting the countdown again.

 **1 hour 34 minutes later**

Khara released a sigh of relief as the last of the contender left her boat. Now the only ones that remained was her, her crew, and of course Tonpa. Speaking of Tonpa, what exactly was he up to right now? She turned towards the last spot she saw him and found him sleeping peacefully as if nothing else mattered. The boat rocked a bit informing her that her crew had removed the boat's ramp and the ropes securing them in place.

"Khara-san, we're ready when you are" one of her workers informed her. She slowly nods her head in acceptance.

"Alright boys, it's time to relax for a bit and maybe eat something. We'll be back in a week to grab the passing participants. Let's head out now" As soon as she said those orders, the boat began driving away from the Island.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **# 86- 2 hours after the release of all contenders**

"So Rock, what made you want to be a hunter?" Contender 86 watched as examinee 45 or Naruto continued roasting fish for their next meal. He was curious as to why he decided to hang around him instead of hiding somewhere until the exam ended. But given his scary reputation amongst the other contenders, he simply had no reason to hide. After all, who was crazy enough to attack him? Still, his presence was a blessing if anything.

In the most unlikely of situations, he had stumbled upon a corpse an hour after he left the boat. After a brief search of the corpse and his belongings, Rock had managed to acquire some basic essentials and an id tag that just so happen to be the one he needed thus giving him six points. And to think this was all within day one of the exams. Now he had one of the most powerful examinee as a temporary companion. Naruto's presence would serve as a deterrent to the other contenders for himself until the end of the week. Once that week was up, he would pass the fourth phase without lifting a finger to fight. Thoughts of gaining the title hunter filled Rock's mind and he soon found himself grinning in delight.

"Rock"

Rock's thoughts abruptly ended upon hearing his name. He grinned sheepishly as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Sorry about that Naruto. Anyway, what did you need?"

"I was asking what made you want to become a hunter." Rock's eyes lit up in glee as he launched into the reason why he was risking his life in this exam to become a hunter.

"To simply put it, I need money and a great deal of it for my rock climbing school. Turns out, starting any school requires more money than I imagined. After doing a bit of research, I found the solution to that in the form of ancient treasure. As a hunter, I will be able to seek lost treasure around the world and sell it at the auction for some big bucks. With that money, I will be able to acquire the funds I need. Once my school is established, I could sit back and enjoy life the way I want to and without the struggles of an everyday average citizen. And with the hunter id, I would be able to attract a great deal of students. I'll be something akin to a celebrity in my home town." He allowed a smile to grace his lips at his plan. If things went as accordingly, he would live the life he always dreamed of. "What about you Naruto? What's your reason for becoming a hunter?"

He was curious as to what brought the young boy to the most dangerous exam that existed. Was he not away of the dangers that occurred? Weren't his parents worried about him? Given his appearance, he'd estimate the boy's age to be around 12 years old. The thought of a 12 year old boy risking his life for a job occupation didn't sit right with him. His thoughts soon trailed off to the other young boys that also entered the exam. Was this a type of trend he didn't hear about?

Naruto merely shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not sure. I actually discovered this exam by accident. I was hungry so I went into a random restaurant and ordered ramen and steak. Next thing I knew, the entire room went down and the rest is history." Rock sweat dropped at this. This was not something he had imagined at all. He was expecting many things like an avenger that joined the exams to become a hunter for the sake of avenging his loved ones or a noble cause like saving his parents with the money he would gain as a hunter. Joining the exams by accident and remaining in the competition was neither one of those he envisioned. To think the most powerful contender was here because of an accident. This had to be the most ridiculous thing he'd heard of. This was definitely a story he would be sharing with his rock climbing buddies soon. They wouldn't definitely get a laugh or two out of this.

"Alright, the fish is ready to be consumed. Prepared for the ultimate island experience" Naruto retrieved one of the sticks holding one of the various fishes he caught and slowly handed it to Rock. Rock muttered a quick 'thank you' then bit into the fish pausing to allow his taste buds to experience the exotic spices that went into the fish. He thanked the gods once more that Naruto was his companion right now. Now only did he have a deterrent to keep others at bay, he had a magnificent cook for an entire week. The only thing they needed now was a form of shelter.

"Hey Rock after we finish our meal I'm going to set up a place to rest. I'm thinking about placing hammocks between the trees and a makeshift rooftop using some branches and trees just in case it rains or something. I doubt we'll have to worry about the temperature given the fact that this is a tropical Island. Are you okay Rock?"

Rock had a stream of tears as he mentally thanked the gods once more. He was definitely the luckiest man right now. The rustling of bushes quickly caught his attention. His hand immediately went into his pouch retrieving a small blade he carried in case of emergencies. He watched keenly as three figures entered the area scanning the area as if searching for someone or something. Based on contender 99's cheerful facial expression and the direction he was currently looking, Rock deduced that they were searching for Naruto. Given their earlier interactions with the boy, they were most likely here under friendly terms.

Naruto waved at his friends as they entered his little spot. "Leorio, Kurapika, and Killua, what are you guys doing here? Did you get your target id tags or did you acquire help finding them?" The three in question retrieved not only their respective target id from their pockets but their own id tag as well then presented it to Naruto.

"Tch, those guys were too easy" Killua stated this as if it was the simplest thing in the world. "None of them knew anything about hiding or concealing their tracks so finding them wasn't that difficult to begin with. It didn't help that they stuck together just as we predicted. They were also terrible at close-range combat. I mean given how much they brag about their ultimate teamwork, I'd imagine they'd put up some sort of resistance but Leorio clobbered them on his own and he didn't even break a sweat." Killua shook his head in disbelief. To think the stupid brothers somehow managed to get this far into the exams. "The only thing I did was collect the tag I needed." Naruto's attention averted to Leorio who seemed content despite what Killua said.

"The only thing that mattered is that we all have the six points we need minus Gon that is but I'm sure he'll manage somehow. Once he gets his tag, he'll track us down with that nose of his." Kurapika was taken aback by the amount of confidence Leorio had in Gon. It would seem that Gon had made a wonderful first impression on the soon to be doctor. But then again, he too had faith that the cheerful boy would manage to pull through somehow.

"This is some good fish here Naruto" Killua happily bit into the fish once more giving him the appearance of a happy cat. It was in that moment a thought occurred to both Kurapika and Leorio. As soon as they had gained the required six points, Killua had requested that they locate Naruto. No one asked why he wanted to find Naruto right away but seeing him munching happily on his fish was all it took to discover the answer. Considering Naruto's cooking skills, it made actually made sense to seek him and none of them possessed much in terms of cooking skills. With Naruto around, they would be able to enjoy top quality meals and they wouldn't have to worry about whether or not something was poisonous. Of course they would be using him for the duration of phase four but seeing him gather more materials without any sign of annoyance removed such thoughts.

Kurapika took notice to contender 86 as he tried to figure out why he was here. Knowing Naruto, he probably approached him out of boredom or curiosity. But in doing so, he became a deterrent for him and number 86 probably realized this but said nothing as it was beneficial to him.

"You know, a week on this island doesn't seem too bad now" Kurapika's attention shifted to Leorio's voice to find him sitting next to Killua with a fish in his hand. "Kurapika, come get it before it's gone. These things are absolutely delicious." Both Naruto and Kurapika sweat dropped for different reasons. For Kurapika it was at how fast Leorio got comfortable. For Naruto, it was at how these guys were treating his food as if it was the scarcest thing right now. He didn't really do anything special to the fish plus it wasn't difficult to make.

"There's no need to rush. I have plenty of fish to go around. Besides, if we do run out, I'll simply catch and cook some more."

The last statement went ignored as Kurapika joined the feeding frenzy. Naruto shook his head as he walked away to catch more fish. At the rate they were eating, they would require a lot more.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **#405** \- **4 days later**

Gon's heart hammered wildly as he made a mad dash through various bushes. His legs burned in protest as he forced himself to move beyond his normal speed in an attempt to put more distance between himself and Hisoka. He subconsciously tightened his grip on the number 44 tag clutched in his right palm. He had done it. He had actually managed to retrieve Hisoka's id tag and it only took 4 days, two of which was spent perfecting his accuracy with his father's fishing rod to catch a moving target and 2 days of stalking Hisoka without notifying him of his presence. After observing the jester, he had discovered the perfect moment in which he could safely retrieve his target id and escape without confrontation. It was when Hisoka was attacked someone. During that period, Hisoka gain something akin to a tunnel vision. It was as if nothing else mattered except his targets.

Having witnessed his bloodlust spike to barely containable levels and seeing him enter a state of tunnel vision, Gon had leapt to the trees to see if there were anyone around that would encounter the insane jester. Once he found a target, he moved to the area in which the two would intersect. From there, he waited patiently until Hisoka spotted the target. And just as Gon predicted, Hisoka blindly rushed at the unfortunate contender. As he attacked the unlucky man, Gon snatched his id tag using his father's fishing rod and ran for it which leads to his current situation, him running as fast as he could.

His ears perked up slightly at the sound of something flying towards him. As his mind tried to process what it was, his body quickly reacted on its own. Gon leaned forward allowing whatever it was to sail by him harmlessly and forced his legs to move faster. Without realizing it, he suppressed his magic once more hiding his presence to whomever it was that was targeting him. As soon as he went through another bush, he took to the trees in a zig zag pattern to throw off his pursuer. There was no way he would lose his tag after retrieving Hisoka's tag especially considering the fact that the exams would end in a few days.

Now that he had his six points, the only thing left to do was meet up with the others, a task that was simple for him. All he had to do was track down Leorio using the scent of his cologne. Gon slowed down for a brief second to sniff around. As soon as his nose picked up on Leorio's trail, he increased his speed once more. He could not afford to let his guard down right now.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

'Well, that was unexpected' Geretta removed his blow dart from the bark of a tree having missed his target by a few centimeters. It would seem that despite his state of panic, Gon had somehow managed to hear the dart and avoid it at the last second. He had severely underestimated his sharp senses and paid the ultimate price.

Geretta released a heavy sigh. He had spent 4 days stalking his target from a distance in hopes that he would drop his guard. Once that occurred, he would have been able to subdue him without any resistance. Now Gon was aware of the fact that someone was actively targeting him and took extra steps to shake that pursuer off. Now he had no idea as to where the boy went and he only had approximately 3 days left before the exam ended.

'I guess I'll have no choice but to target 3 random players instead. With my tag and the three tags I'll retrieve, I'll have enough points to pass. I just need to avoid certain people' People like Naruto, Hisoka, Gittarackur, and Hanzo appeared in his mind. A single glance was all it took for him to decide that these guys were beyond his current skills at this moment. With that being said, if he was to pass the exams, he needed to avoid confrontation with those guys at all times and target the weaker contenders. With that plan in mind, he began the process of tracking down his next prey.


	7. Chapter 7

"Hisoka, I don't suppose you know who the culprit is?" Illumi glanced at his smiling partner as chaos continued. His attention went back to the various flocks of bird origami as they continued flying around without a destination in mind. Black pupil-less eyes shifted as a random contender appeared 200 meters above the Island and just as before. He proceeded to drop at least 170-180 meters before one of the groups flew towards him. As soon as they came into direct contact with the airborne man, he vanished without a trace. The group of birds quickly flew back down to a certain distance then proceeded to roam around as if waiting for the next victim.

Illumi watched the origami constructs as his mind pieced together what he learned so far. These paper animals were teleporting any and all contenders that came into contact to random locations whether it was the skies or right into the ocean. Based on what he's witnessed so far, no one had died from a teleport thus led him to believe that the culprit had taken a few measures to ensure that no one died in the process. The question that remain was what was that culprit's goal and how exactly was he doing this? He had never heard of a Nen user pulling off such a feat. Was that person a specialist? There was so much information he lacked at the moment but what he did know was that Hisoka knew who the culprit was or he at least managed to deduce who it was and he seemed tightlipped about it.

If anything, he seemed amused by all this which was new to him. He was under the impression that the only thing that amused the jester was blood and gore or that's what he learned from his observation of him. But now it would seem that he was wrong thus he needed to reevaluate everything he knew about him. The rustling of bushes caught the duo's attention. Seconds later, the man that appeared and disappeared from the skies came barreling through with a look of terror on his face. Illumi watched as paper airplanes flew directly behind him in pursuit.

The terrified contender immediately spotted the duo and ran towards them without an ounce of hesitation. He didn't care how scary these two individuals were or the fact that they could easily dispatch of him without a hint of remorse. No, the only thing he cared about right now was avoiding the origami from hell by any means necessary. Having firsthand experience with these hellish creations, he knew how they worked to an extent.

Hisoka watched as the man dashed between them in amusement. This was the first time someone had approached him willingly. He glanced back towards the direction he came from just as one of the paper planes collided with his face. Before he knew it, he found himself freefalling above the entire Island with Illumi in tow. He stared impassively as the forest view grew closer with each passing second. As soon as he was within 30 meters of the flocking constructs, they quickly reacted as if sensing his presence. Amber eyes scanned each contracts keenly as they collided with his form. In less than a second, Hisoka found himself falling from a 200 meter drop again but this time, Illumi was at least 20 feet from his current position.

Illumi released a small sigh when he realized why that contender ran pass them. He was using them as meat shields. He regretted not killing the man on the spot though he supposed Hisoka would have done the deed. As he freefell to the Island, his mind processed the new piece of information adding it with his growing collection of what he knew so far. The origami constructs in the sky were a lot faster and agile than the airplanes. Since they didn't actively target those in the forest, they were most likely a safety net for those who ended up in the sky like them. The ones on ground level on the other hand actively chased contenders that came within range. He had noticed that at one point during the contender's escape, two planes had crashed into a tree yet the tree remained in place. Based on that, it would seem that these constructs only affect humans.

Illumi blinked owlishly as he found himself freefalling once more along with Hisoka but at a different angle once again. He glanced up to see how Hisoka was handling this situation and he didn't seem bothered at all by the fact that they were still freefalling.

'Well it's a good thing I acquired my six points beforehand or this would have been a bit troublesome' He idly closed his eyes as his freefall continued. His mind drifted back to the airplane that crashed in his forehead which resulted in his current predicament. For some unknown reason he couldn't stop thinking about the airplane design. It wasn't the typical design most people used when creating a simple airplane. No, these planes were designed in a way that they made it impossible to fly without the aid of nen or exceptionally powerful winds. It didn't take long before he managed to recall where he had seen that particular design. It was his Killua's 5th birthday. Killua had exclaimed how boring paper planes were and how he was going to improve the design. After several days of trial and error, he did exactly that but it was simply too heavy. Each plane simply crashed into the floor without fail. Killua was highly disappointed that day.

Was this Killua's doing? Did he manage to unlock his nen? These were the questions that plagued his mind as he continued his fall. There was only one way to find out. As soon as he stopped falling, he would find Killua or wait until the end of the phase to question him. Wait, he couldn't approach him yet. That was definitely too early. Maybe he should watch him discreetly from a distance for clues instead. Yes, that was a better choice.

A warm drop of liquid brought Illumi out of his thoughts. He turned towards the direction it came from and spotted a corpse above them. Based on the wounds on the body, the cause of death was penetration to the brain via bullet or something akin to a bullet. The corpse soon vanished from his eyes and he found himself above the former contender. He watched in mild interest as the corpse bypass the origami construct and struck the unforgiven ground not without hitting various trees on its way down that is. So it would seem that these constructs only targeted living humans.

Hisoka chuckled at the morbid display that occurred before him. This was the most interesting thing he's witnessed so far. His thought soon went back to a certain devious blonde elder. He was positively sure this was his doing despite the different aura types emitting from the various constructs. In fact, he had personally identified a few birds carrying his aura. The other auras came from Gon, Killua, Leorio, and Kurapika. They were probably assisting Naruto in this magnificent prank.

'Naruto-san, I can't wait until our next fight' Hisoka trembled in excitement as he thought about his next match with the blonde and unlike his first match; it would be a true match between nen users. During his initial fight against the short blonde, he had limited his aura usage under the pretense that Naruto didn't possess any knowledge on Nen. But it would seem that wasn't the case. Naruto did know about nen and he seemed quite skilled at using it. Hisoka chuckled in delight as his bloodlust spiked to unmanageable levels. As soon as he saw him again, he would request a glorious fight to the death.

All across the Island, majority of the contenders shivered as Hisoka's killing intent bathed over the island. Their immediate reaction was to scan the immediate area for the crazy jester while silently praying he wasn't targeting them. None of the contenders minus a select few looked to the skies. Had they bothered looking up, they would have surely noticed the silent jester silently falling from the skies.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Killua, your paper planes are awesome?" Killua blushed at Gon's blunt comment. He still wasn't use to such praise from someone that wasn't his family. Even the praises from his family paled in comparison to the ones he received from Gon. Then again who the hell in their right state of mind would praise their soon to be killer? Before he left his home and joined the hunter exam, he was an assassin, a fact that didn't seem to bother Gon when he revealed that he and his entire family were elite assassins. And it wasn't just Gon that didn't seem to care. Naruto told him that he didn't care what he did in the past while Kurapika and Leorio shrugged it off as if was nothing to be concerned about.

They had both accepted him with open arms despite his past; something he never imagined was possible. His family had always preached how he was destined for great things as long as he remained in the underworld but Naruto said otherwise. It left a strange warm feeling within his chest and it felt pleasant.

"It's not all that special Gon. Now let's go release this baby" Killua ran towards the semi-transparent barrier surrounding the entire camp area. Based on what Naruto said, this barrier would keep the other paper construct from attacking them as they are programmed to attack every human being indiscriminately. Once he was at the barrier, he stuck his hand through it and applied magic to his paper construct activating the symbols within. Upon activation, he released the plane and retrieved his had within the confines of the barrier immediately. Both Gon and Killua watched in fascination as the paper plane float away from them without a set destination.

Kurapika and Leorio brought their unfolded piece of paper closer to examine the strange symbols decorating the piece of paper. As Kurapika stared keenly at the symbols, his mind was in the process of combing through the collective knowledge he had gained over his lifetime so far for anything that would help him understand what the hell he was looking at in the first place. He had learned about the various languages found around the world but he had couldn't recall seeing anything like this. His eyebrow knitted together as he continued diving deep within the confines of his mind. Leorio on the other hand placed the paper down and proceeded to fold it into another origami piece. He didn't understand a single thing and he doubt he would anytime soon. What he did understand was that whatever origami he created would chase and terrorize the other contenders. It was moments like this in which Leorio was grateful that Naruto was his friend instead of an enemy.

And it wasn't just Leorio that was grateful. Rock was once again thanking the gods that Naruto was his temporary companion. He didn't have to deal with whatever terror the other examinees were experiencing right now. He was safe within the confines of this barrier and would remain so until the end of the phase.

Naruto chuckled as soon as he saw Kurapika's look of concentration. The object of his concentration stemmed from the fuinjutsu drawn on the sheets of paper. "Don't bother trying to read it." Kurapika's head snapped towards him as he continued. "Fuinjutsu is a shinobi art from my old world. It's the only skill I'm able perform as of now since it doesn't rely on the usage of chakra which is an energy that is also native to my world." Kurapika glanced at the piece of paper then back at Naruto in curiosity.

"What exactly is fuinjutsu and what are its capabilities?" Leorio perked up after hearing this. He wanted to know a little more about the mysterious squiggly lines. Between the two of them, the only thing they knew was that fuinjutsu allowed them to animate origami to an extent and that it was capable of seeking other contenders using their magic as a target. None of them were aware of what occurred when the airplane found its target. Then again, none of them asked Naruto the question. They were all preoccupied with the task of creating as many origamis as they could as fast as humanly possible right after Naruto told them it was for the sake of pranking. Kurapika was sure that whatever the constructs did, couldn't be anything fatal. It didn't seem like Naruto to do something sinister. If anything it was something childish and annoying.

Kurapika watched as Naruto's eyes widened to comical proportions and tearful. Before he or anyone had the chance to respond, Naruto's eyes unleashed a torrent of tears. By now, he had the full attention of Killua, and Gon, Rock who looked over in concern.

"Finally, someone other than me is interested in the intricate art of fuinjutsu. I can't believe this day is finally happening." He quickly brought the blonde effeminate teen into a tight hug confusing him. "And to think, all I had to do was die to find someone like you. Kurapika, you have made my day."

"You're welcome I think" was Kurapika's awkward response. He wasn't sure how to respond to this situation right now. As if sensing this, Naruto stopped his act right away and laughed it off.

"Sorry about that, I got a little excited. You see, where I'm from, fuinjutsu isn't popular when compared to the other shinobi arts. I could count the amount of fuinjutsu master on one hand and still have fingers left over." Naruto's thoughts drifted back to the world he came from.

Fuinjutsu was a delicate art that took a great deal of time and patience before one saw the fruits of labor. It was an art that at one point in time had been considered useless until the rise of a certain redheaded clan that is. Using the once useless art, the Uzumaki clan had become one of the most powerful clans comparable to that of the Uchiha and Senju clan. They had shown the world what fuinjutsu was capable if one were to sit down and master it. But despite this, the number of fuinjutsu users remained low. No one had the time or patience.

After the fall of the Uzumaki clan, only a handful of individuals bothered learning the art and even less than that mastered the art one of those individuals being Jiraiya. Naruto had chosen to learn and master the art out of respect to his fellow clansmen before him and more importantly his parents. Both of his parents were fuinjutsu masters in their own way so it was only natural that he followed in their footsteps.

Everyone else dedicated themselves to the other, much popular shinobi arts such as ninjutsu, taijutsu, genjutsu and even kenjutsu in that corresponding order. Ninjutsu considered the most popular for obvious reasons. It was flashy as hell, destructive, and simply to learn when compared to the other arts. Taijutsu came next after Might Guy's battle with Madara Uchiha and almost killing said man using taijutsu only. Genjutsu came before kenjutsu due to how subtle and effective it was and kenjutsu came next because how flashy or awesome it looked.

Naruto sulked a bit as he thought of the unfair judgement fuinjutsu received by the younger generation. They all called it the old man's art and that it wasn't cool enough. What wasn't cool about bending the very fabric or reality to an extent? Those kids simply didn't know any better. Oh well, it was their loss. Naruto snapped out of his sulking state and turned returned his attention towards Kurapika to answer his question.

"Fuinjutsu is the art of…" Naruto then proceeded to launch into an explanation as to what fuinjutsu was, how it worked, the limitation for such an art which stemmed from the limitation of the user's skill level and imagination, the types of fuinjutsu he encountered personally, and the previous fuinjutsu users of his world. Both Leorio and Kurapika listen intently hanging on to every single word. Gon on the other hand zoned in and out as a means to avoid overwhelming his brain. Fuinjutsu seemed way too complicated for him. Rock was in a similar situation as Gon. This was definitely beyond his comprehension skills. It sounded like a whole lot of gibberish to him. Killua merely focused on the effects of the each seal Naruto mentioned. He had no intention of learning it as it didn't suite his current style and he wasn't that interested in putting that much time and effort into such a complicated art.

Once Naruto finished his long explanation, he turned towards his two hopeful students, Leorio and Kurapika. They were the only ones that seemed the least confused after his explanation. He could tell that he had lost the interest of the others if their facial expressions were anything to go by.

"So, are you two still interested in the magnificent arts known as fuinjutsu? Is so, I will be more than willing to teach you some things."

"Of course" Both Kurapika and Leorio turned towards each other in surprise. Naruto slapped his hand together and rubbed them in anticipation.

"That's excellent news guys. From this day forth, you are my pupils. You don't have to refer to me as sensei by the way. I was never one for formalities." Kurapika and Leorio merely nodded their heads in acceptance.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Hisoka, how long have we been freefalling?" Illumi stared impassively as the forest came into view again. As soon as he was close to the flock of birds, they quickly swarmed him and just like what happened several times, he found himself 200 meters above the island again. Hisoka yawned in boredom as he reappeared right next to Illumi.

"I believe we've been up here for the past 4 hours give or take. It would seem that we're very unfortunate."

Illumi released a small sigh. As soon as he got out of this mess, he was going to hunt down the contender that got him into this mess while avoiding Killua's paper planes. After reviewing everything he knew about the constructs for the past 4 hours, he managed to create a solid plan to counter them and he was confident that it would work.

"Well, I guess the only thing we can do right now is waiting patiently until we're lucky enough to return back to the island" Illumi closed his eyes as he prepared his continuous freefalling. He had a feeling that this was going to be a long day.

"Look out" Hisoka's casual warning caused Illumi to reopen his eyes just in time to see a large body of ocean several feet below them. The two dropped in the ocean soaking them to the bone. As the two surfaced, Illumi quickly scanned the area to see how far they were from the island. Fortunately for the duo, the island was just 50 meters away.

"Now I do believe I have a contender to kill" commented Illumi as he swam ashore.


	8. Chapter 8

**3 days later**

'Today is finally the day. It's only a matter of time until they announce the end of the exams. Once they do, all I have to do is follow these guys and it'll be smooth sailing from here.' Rock glanced over to see what the others were currently doing. So far, Kurapika and Leorio were studying over a few notes they received from Naruto on fuinjutsu. If memory served correct, it was a complete breakdown on what each individual symbols did and how when combined together in a particular way could trigger different effects. It was a whole lot of mumbo jumbo but those two seemed to catch on pretty easily. The other two boys weren't so fortunate and neither was he.

His attention shifted to the host of the camp zone which was Naruto whom was in the process of cleaning up and removing their camp setup, a process that would probably take him a few minutes at best. Rock gently pat his pocket to verify once again that he still had his six points despite the fact that none of his companions had made an single attempt to steal it from him not that they needed to. Each of them had already obtained their own 6 points so it was pointless to steal any more id tags.

Speaking of id tags, Rock turned towards Gon. After hearing about whom his target was and how he managed to snatch that man's id tag, he couldn't help but look at him in a different light. To think, one of the youngest contenders managed to get the drop on one of the most vicious killers was mind blowing. That was definitely not a feature most people could pull off. Had he receive Hisoka as a target, he probably would have pulled a page out of Tonpa's book and quit before phase four had officially began. He would never have taken a risky chance like what Gon did especially when someone like Hisoka was involved. To him, Gon was a perfect example that anyone could become something greater through hard work and dedication or so he believed.

Naruto scanned the area one last time to ensure he didn't miss anything during the cleanup process. Once he was content with what he was seeing, he turned towards his group. "Alright guys, I've deactivated project origami so it's safe for us to roam the forest freely not that we need to. As soon as they announce the end of the phase, I'll teleport us to the closest area near our initial starting point to save some time and arrive in style." This prompted the others to grin for different reasons. For Rock, this was a guarantee that he wouldn't encounter any problem to the boat. For Leorio and Kurapika, this was the perfect chance to see another seal in action. For Killua and Gon, teleporting seemed like a great deal of fun.

…

…

…

Naruto turned towards the direction of the starting area upon hearing the boat's horn. Was that the sign that the phase had officially ended. He didn't have to wait long before he received his answer.

"The fourth phase of the exam has now ended. Will all applicants please return to the starting point at once? You will be given one hour of extra time. If you do not return during this time, you will fail the exam. Furthermore, you are not allowed to exchange tags after reaching the starting point. Anyone caught swapping will be disqualified."

"Alright everyone gather around me right away." The entire group gathered around Naruto as he summoned a piece of paper from one of many seals littered located on his body. After a bit of instruction and a few adjustments to a few individual's position, Naruto held the small piece of paper in the air and applied magic to it. The effects were instant. The entire group appeared right in front of the boat's ramp startling Khara whom was in the process of leaving said boat. She did not expect an entire group to materialize right in front of her. Were they invisible or something?

Naruto beamed in delight at the sight of the cheerful redhead examiner.

"Good morning Khara." Khara smiled at the young boy in front of her as she returned his greeting.

"Good morning Naruto-san. Did you enjoy your stay on the island?" Naruto nodded his head vigorously.

"I sure did, but I don't think the others did." He trailed off as images of pissed off contenders entered his mind. A bead of sweat rolled down the back of her neck as she tried to imagine what this boy could have possibly done that would anger the other contenders. Her gut feeling told her that whatever it was had to be something of epic proportions. Only with time would she discover what exactly happened. "Hey it's Netero's airship again. Does that mean we're taking the airship to the next site?" Khara nodded her head in confirmation.

"That is correct. The boat is for those who didn't make the cut. For the next two days, my crew and I will conduct a search of the entire island for any survivors or any corpse we come across. The survivors will be taken back to their normal lives while the family and friend of the deceased will be notified of their passing." Khara turned her head as someone entered her peripheral vision. She instantly bit her lip to prevent herself from laughing at what she saw.

Hisoka's hair was in a complete mess. It looked as liked he was exposed to high winds for hours on end. Then there was the splattered paint decorating his face and outfit. Did someone set off a paint bomb or something? And it wasn't just Hisoka that was in that condition. Gittarackur, the once ominous looking pinned face individual was now reduced to a chattering work of art. She glanced at the grinning visage of Naruto as he not so secretly admired his work of art. So that's what he was talking about. She idly wondered if the others were in the same condition. She didn't have to take long before she got her answer. Several other contenders showed up in similar if not worse conditions than Hisoka and Gittarackur and unlike the impassive duo, they looked annoyed or downright pissed.

The contenders not affected by the pranks gawked in disbelief while Khara and her crew broke out laughing. This was the funniest exam she had ever examined. This only infuriated the angry ones even furthers. Khara quickly composed herself as she began explaining the next part. "Now then we will now check the tags of everyone here. I will call each of your names and you will present your 6 points."

"Rock examinee #86"

Rock retrieved his two id tags and presented them.

"Naruto Uzumaki examinee #45"

Naruto summoned his two tags from one of his seals surprising the others. It looked as if it appeared out of thin air. Several glares were aimed at him as they slowly connected the origami incident to him. If it wasn't for the fact that he was capable of mopping the floors with Hisoka without receiving a scratch, they probably would have attacked him. Instead, they silently stewed in anger or in some cases sigh at the childish prank played upon them. Hisoka was the only one that smiled for reasons no one knew of.

"Gon Freecss examinee #405"

Gon retrieved two id tags and held up with pride surprising the entire group. Everyone recognized who the number 44 tag belonged to. The fact that he had managed to retrieve Hisoka's tag spoke volumes of his skill. Hisoka didn't look like the type to hand over his tag out of generosity.

"Hisoka Morow (#44)"

Hisoka held up six tags for the examiner to see. The others sent out a silent prayer to the 6 unfortunate contenders that crossed the psycho's path.

"Leorio Paradinight #403"

Leorio summoned his two tags from the seal placed on his arm surprising and angering the other contenders. It would seem that he was involved. In fact, based on the condition of Naruto and everyone else, they were probably all involved. Leorio had either ignored the heated looks or completely missed it as he was absorbed with the fact that he had managed to perform one of the basic sealing techniques. Not only did he manage to learn a sealing technique, but he had passed the phase with ease and it was all thanks to his team. Killua tracked their targets down with his assassin skills and he clobbered them. Kurapika was there as an added measure not that they needed it to begin with. Leorio was feeling wonderful right now.

"Kurapika #404"

Kurapika also summoned his tags from a seal he placed on his arm and showed the examiner. The others having saw it performed twice already weren't so surprised this time.

"Killua Zoldyck #99"

Killua retrieved two tags from in pocket and a small airplane he kept in the process. Killua grinned awkwardly as several contenders stared at him with anger. It was confirmed now; these guys were definitely the culprits behind the origami stunt. Khara giggled at the mischievous catlike expression he was sporting right now. She found it adorable at how he looked right now. But not everyone thought the same. One in particular contender flared killing intent directly towards the white haired boy. What happened next was something nobody expected. For a tenth of a second, an even larger killing intent bathed over the entire group but quickly went away before anyone realized whom it belonged to. Beads of sweat could be seen from majority of the contenders, Khara, and her crew. Hisoka didn't show any reaction but his eyes remained on Naruto's form. And it wasn't just Hisoka that was looking at the elder. Kurapika glanced over towards his teacher whom seemed surprised at the turn of events.

Khara glanced around the room nervously as she once again recomposed herself. She didn't know who emitted the initial killing intent and she sure as hell didn't want to know who emitted the last one. That was definitely the scariest thing she experienced. That was definitely the work of a nen user and a powerful one at that. She quickly shook away those thoughts then went back to her task at hand.

"Pokkle #53"

Pokkle hesitantly procured two tags from his pouch. He was still a bit shaken from that dreadful feeling. There was definitely a true monster amongst them. Subconsciously his gaze turned towards the person he suspected which was Hisoka himself. He was the only one capable of such awful feeling or so he believed.

"Hanzo #294 "

Hanzo revealed 4 id tags to Khara with a slight grin.

"Gittarackur #301"

Gittarackur slowly brought forth two id tags of his own.

Anita #111

Anita glanced wearily at Killua as she flashed her two id tags. Her eyes scanned the area as she tried to figure out who was behind such monstrous killing intent. Part of her believed it was someone close to Killua and the only people that hung around that murderer was number 45, 403, 404, and 405. None of them seemed like someone capable of pulling off such a feat. No, it had to be someone else. There was someone else out there secretly watching over her father's killer and that person was powerful. She idly wondered if Hisoka was that person. If so, why would a killer protect another killer? Was there some sort of comradery amongst killers that she missed? If so, avenging her father would become a lot more difficult. She needed to be careful from now on.

"Siper #80"

Siper lifted her arm in the air revealing her two id tags.

"Bodoro #191"

Bodoro held his two tags between his middle and index finger.

Ponzu #246

Ponzu held her hand in the air revealing her two tags. She smiled in triumph as she thought about how she had managed to defeat the snake charmer with her army of bees.

Geretta #384

Geretta held up his 4 id tags in relief. After losing his target being Gon, he had to go through hell and back to get the three tags. If it wasn't for the origami from hell, retrieving those tags would have been a breeze. But it wasn't exactly easy hunting people that were vanishing and reappearing in random areas of the forest. It also didn't help that he kept vanishing along with his prey and it was all thanks to those annoying paper constructs. Based on the appearance of the others, the only people spared from the hellish nightmare were the culprits and those who didn't participate which narrowed down to one person, Tonpa. Speaking of which, he glanced towards the boat to see if Tonpa was there but much to his disappointment, he wasn't. It was in this moment that he understood exactly why Tonpa gave up. Had he remained in the exams, he would have been the sole target of these pranks from hell.

Khara smiled cheerful as her part came to an end. There was only one thing left to say. "These 15 applicants have passed the fourth phase of the exam. Congratulations and good luck. The airship will land in a few minutes so please wait here patiently. In the meanwhile, I have some contenders to gather." She turned towards her crew and began her next objective which was collecting those who didn't make it this year.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Congratulations on passing the four phase of the exam. The final part will be held 3 days from now to allow you all to relax for the time being." Netero glanced around the remaining examinees in amusement. To think, 15 contenders had managed to make it to the final exam. This was bizarre to say the least. He was used to seeing single digit numbers but this unexpected result was refreshing. It meant that this group was truly exceptional. "Please board the ship so that we can begin our journey to our destination. The trip will take approximately 2 hours so enjoy yourself for the time being." With that being said, he walked back onto the airship with the remaining contenders in tow. Once everyone was on board the airship, the pilot slowly took to the skies."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Naruto, are you okay?" As soon as the contenders separated, Kurapika quickly made his way towards Naruto to find out what exactly happened. Gon, Killua, and Leorio followed in suite each curious as to what Kurapika was talking about. Did they miss something important? The only thing that happened was….

"Wait, that was your killing intent?" Killua paused as if something dawned upon him. "Of course it was you. The only people capable of doing stuff like that are people with power or old people. You fit both requirements." The display of killing intent easily surpassed that of his older brother. He would go as far as to say that it was on the same level as his grandfather. Naruto didn't even seem like the type that could generate something like what he experienced moments ago but that goes to show that you can't trust a book by its cover.

"Naruto-san was extremely scary and it wasn't aimed at me." Gon's statement earned a raised eyebrow from Leorio. So he wasn't the only one that noticed that. Naruto chuckled nervously as he explained himself. It felt as if the grim reaper was hovering over them while staring directly at someone else.

"I'm sorry for putting you all on the edge earlier. It's just that when someone aimed their killing intent at Killua, it kind of triggered a few bad memories from my other life. My brother Sasuke in all but blood had accumulated quite a bit of enemies during the fourth shinobi war then there were the enemies his clan made before they became few in numbers. A few of those enemies had actively targeted his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren for the sake of getting back at Sasuke and his clan for one reason or another. Sasuke was too strong for them to target so they all went after his kin. I had personally stopped several attempts and as a result, I developed an overprotective and a not so friendly side. I remember this one time some random assassin tried to kill Sasuke's granddaughter when she was just 2 years old. In the fit of anger, I kind of turned him inside out in the most explosive way possible. His insides were everywhere.

"Anyway, I considered you a close friend Killua and I'm very protective of my friends." Killua blushed in embarrassment. It was one thing to hear something like that from Gon but now someone else was saying such mushy things with such a straight face.

"Don't say stupid stuff like that stupid blonde Gon" He didn't even think about what he said, he simply blurted it out. Naruto blinked owlishly at the nickname he received.

Blonde Gon

Shouldn't it be the reverse like black haired Naruto? Leorio and the others laughed at his facial expression. A raincloud formed of Naruto's head as he got into fetal position.

"You guys are mean"

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Hisoka, just how strong is Naruto and when exactly did you meet him?" Hisoka turned towards Illumi who was now longer using his Gittarackur disguise at the moment. At the mention of Naruto's name, Hisoka's bloodlust spiked.

"That's what I'm about to discover soon. I just need to find him and a proper location to fight gloriously. I'm interested in the type of Nen he possesses." Illumi remained silent after Hisoka's proclamation. While it wasn't the answer he was seeking, he was satisfied none the less. A match between the two was the perfect opportunity to learn more about the blonde enigma such as his current skills and more importantly the kind of relationship he had with his younger brother. Did the two of them become friends so quickly? What did this mean for the Zoldyck family? He needed more Intel to work with and the only way he was going to get that was from his observation from Naruto.


	9. Chapter 9

"Hisoka-chan, what's this nen you speak of? What do you mean by a nen match?" Naruto glanced at his palms as a thought occurred. "Are you perhaps talking about magic?" It was the only logical thing he could think of that would match what the jester was talking about.

Hisoka stared at Naruto in disbelief. His fuel for blood and death in his upcoming match with the elder had long died off. There was no glory in fighting someone in a nen based match especially when his opponent lacked knowledge on nen itself. The fact that he called it magic showed just how little he knew on the subject. Hisoka frowned in disappointment. He was looking forward to this fight but now it would seem that he would have to wait a bit longer. Naruto turned towards the frowning jester and offered a simple solution.

"Well, despite my lack of the nen you speak of, I'm still more than willing to fight you in a nen match. Where I came from, it was common for me to fight an enemy with little to no knowledge about their abilities. This match would be no different from every other fight I've been in. Besides, didn't you forget that I survived the Dark Continent and I didn't even have an ounce of knowledge to assist me? Hell, the only reason I knew it was called the Dark Continent was because I saw a sign on my way out." Hisoka's bloodlust shot back up upon hearing this. That's right; Naruto did fight against a nen user or several and from the most dangerous area to boot. It would seem that his match with Naruto would go down as he desired. The only thing was the location. He needed to find the perfect location for his glorious match.

…

…

…

"I have an announcement for all participants. The chairman wishes to interview the remaining candidates in a one on one session. When your number is called, please come to the first reception room located on the second floor. Will contender #86 Rock-sama please report to the designated area." Naruto scratched his neck and he grinned sheepishly at the jester.

"I think we'll have to delay our match for the time being. It looks like they're still the same order in which we accomplished the third phase. If that's the case, I'll be called next for my interview and I don't think we'll be able to get much fighting done between now and then." Hisoka's entire body turned to stone upon hearing this. Illumi under his Gittarackur disguise released a small sigh. His plan to gather Intel was also put on hold for the time being. It would seem that he too would have to wait patiently.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Rock examinee #86**

Rock strolled into the room with confidence brimming from his form. Everything was smooth sailing for him from the first phase up until now. He only needed to pass the final exam before he became a licensed hunter. His eyes locked onto Netero's form as he approached the only available seat and sat down. Netero stroked his beard as he examined the man before him.

"Now then, I will ask you a few questions before sending you back. I need you to answer them honestly as they may or may not affect you later on. Why do you want to become a hunter?" Rock grinned as he launched his shortened version of his reasoning.

"I want to become a treasure hunter to find and sell treasure for money in which will fund my rock climbing school." Netero quickly wrote his answer down before moving to the next question.

"Which of the participants are you keeping an eye on?"

"That would be number 44, 301, and 294. I would say 45 but he's pretty friendly despite his reputation but then again he did beat Hisoka without receiving an injury so their reason is legit." Netero paused for a brief moment as if contemplating then proceeded to write down the response.

"Which of the participants would you least want to fight?" Rock blinked in confusion.

"Wait, I thought the other question pertained to people I don't want to fight. The ones I'm keeping an eye on are the same ones I don't want to fight. Now if I were to choose someone to fight against, then it would be 246 or 191. I have a high survival chance with those two so if I were to lose, I would live to see another day." Netero scribbled his response down and nodded his head.

"Very well, that would be all"

Rock slowly stood up and gave Netero a small bow before walking out the room.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Naruto Uzumaki examinee #45**

Naruto poked his head into the room then smiled cheerfully when he saw Netero. He casually waved at the elder man as he entered the room.

"Netero, it's nice seeing you again. It felt like ages since I saw you but in reality it was just about 2 weeks ago I think." Netero chuckled light heartedly. It would appear that he wasn't the only one that sometimes lost track of time. He motioned his hand towards firm small pillow positioned in front of him. Naruto slowly made his ways towards the pillow and plopped into a comfortable position. Once they were both seated, Netero began the interview.

"Very well, I will be asking you a few questions and I want you to answer them truthfully as they may or may not affect you later on. Why do you want to become a hunter?" Naruto merely shrugged his shoulders as he responded.

"I'm not entirely sure what a hunter is. I actually discovered this place by accident." Netero's eyebrow rose at the exclamation. How does one discover the hunter exam by accident? That was the most bizarre thing he heard but despite that, he believed him. What would Naruto gain from lying about something like this? Still, he was curious as to how he found the exam site so that he could implement some changes if needed. He didn't want too many unqualified individuals entering the exam or that would be a hassle for the examiners.

"How exactly did you discover this place? It's not like this place broadcasted itself."

"Let's see, it started after my voyage from the Dark Continent." Netero's eyes widened to comical proportions at the mention of that place. Before he had the chance to respond, Naruto continued. "Oh speaking of which, I have a few things I recovered that you might be interested in." Naruto stretched his arm out and applied magic or nen; he wasn't sure what it was right now, to one of the seals located on his arm. Several old journals appeared before collapsing onto the floor. Naruto leaned over and retrieved the small stack of books then handed them to the chairman.

Netero spread each book across the table as he scanned each one of them for anything that stuck out. It was only after the entire collection was spread evenly that he spotted one particular journal he recognized. It was his personal journal from his first expedition to the Dark Continent. He had dropped it near Lake Mobius when his expedition was ambushed by various creatures. Majority of the group had their lives taken away before they even had the opportunity to defend themselves.

Netero gently picked up his journal taking everything into detail. Everything was exactly as it was when he dropped it from the bloody handprint decorating both covers to the dirty edged papers from the amount of times he dropped it prior. He opened the book and skimmed through a few of his entries as his mind drifted back to the event. Not many knew about it but he had nearly died that day. If it wasn't for his two friends Zigg Zoldyck and Linne Hors-d'oeuvre, he would have passed away like many others before him. The second time he went on the expedition, he was a bit more prepared but just like every other expeditions, many lives were taken. At one point in time, he convinced the V5 to forbid any further expedition into the Dark Continent to avoid further loss and much to his surprise, they agreed.

"Is everything okay Netero?" Netero blinked a few times as Naruto's face came back into focus. He slowly gathered the small stack of books and placed them to the side.

"Ah yes, I was a bit surprised. That was my personal journal from my first expedition. I dropped it near Lake Mobius during our retreat. I never imagined I'd be seeing it ever again but here it is now sitting right next to me." This was undeniable proof of his claim that he had been in the Dark Continent. There was no other possible explanation as to how he came into contact with these books. The other books probably came from the other voyagers that didn't make it. He made a mental note to view the entries sometime after the interview process.

"Naruto after the interview is over; I would like to speak to you about your experience inside the Dark Continent if you don't mind that is. I'm sure there's a great deal of knowledge we could acquire from your stories." Seeing no harm in his quest, Naruto agreed.

"I don't mind at all. Where do you want me to meet you?"

"Don't worry about that. I'll come find you once everything's wrapped up. Anyway, it's about time to wrap things up here. I still have quite a few contenders I need to interview." Naruto tilted his head in confusion. He was sure there was more to an interview than this.

"I was expecting a bit more questioning from an interview but I guess everyone does things differently." Netero shook his head as he explained his reasoning.

"There were other questions I was going to ask but it's pointless right now." Naruto stared at Netero with an expression of pure confusion prompting him to explain. "The point of the interview was to help be decide how things will play out during the final phase but that is no longer required. I've decided to grant you the status of a hunter which is effective as of now. Anyone capable of surviving the most dangerous part of the world and coming back in one piece is more than qualified to become a hunter. I'm not sure if you know this but the survival rate for that area is 0.04%." Naruto whistled low at how low that percentage was. That had a lower rate than Orochimaru's cursed seal of heaven. That explained the reason behind Gon and the other's reaction during the first phase of the exams. With the rate being so low, it was practically suicide to venture there.

"I will have your hunter license card ready for our upcoming meeting." Naruto slowly nodded his head in acceptance. He didn't expect something like this to happen but he was fine with it.

"Well I guess this where I take my leave then" Naruto slowly stood up and made his way towards the door. As he exited the room, he spoke once more. "I'll see you later Netero"

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Hisoka Morow** **examinee** _ **#44**_

Hisoka walked into the room where he was greeted to the sight of Netero casually sitting behind a small brown table. "Well, why don't you have a seat young man?" Netero motioned to the empty spot on the opposite side of where he sat.

"I don't suppose this is the final phase of the exam?" Netero pulled out a small pad and ink brush.

"Not necessarily but it is related. I'll be asking a few questions to satisfy my curiosity." Hisoka pondered for a bit before making his way towards the small pillow lying on the floor and plopped down in a comfortable position.

"First, why do you want to become a hunter?"

"I'm not particularly interested in becoming a hunter, but a license can be very useful for avoiding punishments when killing someone." His bloodlust rose as he thought about the perks that came with the hunter license.

Netero simply recorded his response not at all bothered by the display of bloodlust. "I see, I'll move on to the next question. Which of the 14 participant are you keeping an eye on?" Hisoka's eyes lit up in delight as he announced his answer.

"Naruto Uzumaki" Just the thought of his upcoming match with him excited him.

Netero nodded his head in acceptance as he recorded the next answer. "Alright, I have one last question. Which of the other participants would you least want to fight?" Hisoka paused momentarily before answering.

"Number 405 and 99 would be my answer. But if you're asking who I least want to fight at this moment, my answer would be 405." Netero quickly recorded his response. He gave his small sheet of paper a quick look over before dismissing him.

"Very well, you are excuse"

Hisoka slowly stood up and walked away to find a certain blonde elder for his match. Bloodlust radiated from him every step of the way.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Gittarackur examinee #301**

"Why do you want to become a hunter?" Netero eyed the Zoldyck in disguise. There were no rules that stated he couldn't use an alias so he didn't comment on it.

"To kill" It was a simply answer but nothing Netero hadn't expected from the assassin.

"Which of the 14 participant are you keeping an eye on?" The pinned face man turned his face to the right as if staring at an imaginary person.

"Killua"

"Which of the other participants would you least want to fight?" The contender turned towards the right and Netero found himself wondering why he was doing that.

"Hisoka"

'And people call me eccentric' was the general thought that went through his mind as he dismissed the pin faced contender.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Hanzo examinee #294**

"Why do you want to become a hunter?"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time. With a hunter license, I could travel freely."

"Which of the 14 participant are you keeping an eye on?"

"It has to be #44 and 45. They're the most dangerous pair here."

"Which of the other participants would you least want to fight?"

"That would be #45 and 44 especially number 45." He shivered as he thought about the origami from hell. Being forced to teleport around the forest at random intervals was not a fun thing. If it wasn't for his quick reflexes, he would have collided face first with several trees and that didn't seem pleasant at all.

Netero quickly wrote his response then dismissed him.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Bodoro examinee #191**

"Why do you want to become a hunter?"

"I have particular desire to become one. I mainly came here for the competition. The hunter license is just an added bonus."

"Which of the 14 participant are you keeping an eye on?"

"I've got my eye on #44. He has a real presence and he's old enough unlike 45. I don't fight children." Netero said nothing as he recorded his answer.

"Which of the other participants would you least want to fight?"

"That would be 405, 99, and 45. Despite the fact that #45 has defeated #44, it doesn't change the fact that he's a child." Netero didn't bother correcting him that Naruto was older than he appeared or so he believed. There was a lot that could be told about a person by their eyes and Naruto's eyes said anything but young.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Geretta examinee #384**

"Why do you want to become a hunter?"

"To become a beast hunter"

"Which of the 14 participant are you keeping an eye on?"

"I'm keeping my eye out for #405." The failure during the fourth phase remained fresh within his mind.

"Which of the other participants would you least want to fight?"

"That would be #45 and 44. I don't stand a chance against those two."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Gon Freecss** **examinee #405**

"Why do you want to become a hunter?"

"I want to find my father. He's a hunter" Netero smiled fondly at the young boy. It was admirable for him but given who his father is, it would be a very difficult task. Ging was an elusive man when he wanted to be. Even he had a hard time trying to locate the man sometimes. Then again maybe he was going senile. His attention went back to the young boy as he questioned him again.

"Which of the 14 participant are you keeping an eye on?"

"Who am I watching out for?" Gon repeated the question as he thought about it carefully. "That would be #44. He's a scary man though not as scary as Naruto when he's angry." Netero's eyebrow rose at this. So it would seem that there was another side to the slightly younger man. That was very interesting to him.

"Which of the other participants would you least want to fight?"

"I don't want to fight #99, 403, 404, and 45. They're all my friends." He didn't want to fight his friends for the final exam. If this was a spar then he wouldn't mind but that wasn't the case here.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Killua Zoldyck examinee #99**

"Why do you want to become a hunter?" Netero was curious as to why two members of the Zoldyck family were in his exams. Surely it couldn't be anything money related since the entire family was loaded.

"I don't particularly want to become a hunter. I just thought it would be fun." Netero's eyebrow rose slightly. That was an interesting answer. He scribbled it down then proceeded to the next question.

"Which of the 14 participant are you keeping an eye on?"

"That would be Gon since we're the same age." Netero nodded his head as he recorded his response. So far, his response wasn't that of an assassin. That was very interesting to him.

"Which of the other participants would you least want to fight?" Killua's mind quickly went through each contestant until he found his answer.

"I don't want to fight #53. I don't think it'd be a very interesting fight." Netero recorded his answer then dismissed him.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Kurapika examinee #404**

"Why do you want to become a hunter?"

"I want to become a blacklist hunter to hunt and kill a certain group. As a hunter, I'll be able to gather information; the kind of information regular people can't get their hands on." Netero stared at Kurapika for a few seconds before he wrote his answer.

"Which of the 14 participant are you keeping an eye on?"

"I'm watching 405 for positive reasons and #44 for negative reasons. If I'm giving ample reason, I'll fight just about anyone. If not, I would prefer not to fight anyone." Netero recorded his answers then dismissed him since he unknowingly answered both questions.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Leorio Paradinight** **examinee** **#403**

"Why do you want to become a hunter?"

"I need a great deal of money to become a doctor. As a hunter, I'll be able to do that and more. I will be able to save lives at the cost of nothing. I don't want to see someone die from something that could have been easily cured again." Netero was surprised by the passion behind his reasoning. He didn't often meet people like him.

"Which of the 14 participant are you keeping an eye on?"

"I'm keeping an eye on 405. He's a perfect example that there are still positive people in this world and I owe him a great deal. I hope he passes the exam."

"Which of the other participants would you least want to fight?"

"I'm hoping I don't have to fight #405 or 45 for different reasons."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Anita** **examinee # 111**

Why do you want to become a hunter?

"I want to become a blacklist hunter to hunt down and arrest a certain family." Netero stroked his beard as he recorded her response.

"Which of the 14 participant are you keeping an eye on?"

"That would be #99" There was a hard edge to her voice but Netero said nothing. Someone close to her was probably assassinated by the Zoldyck family and now she wanted revenge.

"Which of the other participants would you least want to fight?"

"#45, 44, and 301"

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Siper** **examinee #80**

"Why do you want to become a hunter?"

"I'm an excellent hunter so it was only natural that I chose this path."

"Which of the 14 participant are you keeping an eye on?"

"I would say #53 and 384. They seem like good hunters to compete against."

"Which of the other participants would you least want to fight?"

"45, 44, and 301 immediately come to mind. They're all dangerous."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Pokkle** **examinee #53**

"Why do you want to become a hunter?" Netero held the brush in his hand as he awaited his response. Pokkle didn't waste a second in responding.

"I want to become a beast hunter" Netero scribbled his answer then moved on to the next question.

"Which of the 14 participant are you keeping an eye on?" Pokkle paused as he thought about the other contenders. Once he had his answer, he informed Netero.

"I'm watching out for #404. He looks to be the most balanced applicant here." He felt as if he had a decent matchup against the young blonde. He was confident that he would come out on top should they fight one another. Netero recorded his answer then moved on to the last question.

"Which of the other participants would you least want to fight?" It didn't take long for Pokkle to answer this one. It was almost instant.

"I definitely wouldn't want to fight #44. To be honest, I doubt I'd survive an encounter with him." Satisfied with the answers, Netero dismissed him and waited patiently until the next person.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Ponzu** **examinee #246**

Why do you want to become a hunter?

"I want to become a beast hunter" Netero noted that was the second time he heard that exact respond the first being #53.

"Which of the 14 participant are you keeping an eye on?"

"#53"

"Which of the other participants would you least want to fight?"

"That's an easy answer. I wouldn't want to fight 45, 44, and 301. They all look scary"

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Hmm, the results were more lopsided than I was expecting but I think I'll manage somehow." Netero pulled out a large board and began creating the matchups for the final phase. The process took approximately 1 hour before he managed to create what he dubbed the perfect matches.

"Yes, that's good" With the matches set, he rose from his seat, grabbed the board, and left the room he was in to meet up and inform the other examiners of his decision. As soon as he entered the room, he was greeted to the sight of several hunters siting patiently for his arrival.

"Sorry to keep you waiting" He quickly made his ways towards them with the board in hand. "I've drawn up the bracket" He quickly held the board up showing its content with a content smile.

"Huh?" Menchi stared at the board in disbelieve. She couldn't formulate in words what she was seeing at this moment. Was this some sort of prank?

"What is this?" Satotz's eyes widened a bit. Netero was truly a mischievous person and this was just further proof.

Lippo gawked at the board as he tried to figure out what possessed the chairman to do something like this.

"Ch-chairman, are you sure about this?" Buhara stuttered in shock. This was utterly cruel even for his standards. Netero chuckled at their reactions before responding.

"Dead serious"

"He certainly has a serious expression" commented Satotz with a bead of sweat sliding down the side of his forehead.

"Th-that's a serious expression?" asked Menchi as she stared at Satotz in disbelief.

"Winning will make them hunters" started Netero whose expression had yet to change.


	10. Chapter 10

**Destination of final exams** \- 3 days until final phase

…

…

…

Naruto stared at the audience as a bead of sweat trailed down his neck. It would seem that word of his fight with Hisoka had reached not only the other contenders but the examiners as well. They were all currently gathered off to the side in two separate groups waiting in anticipation for what they believed would be the most epic battle. Seeing the results of their previous fight and actually being able to see the actual fight were two completely different things. Many people were eager to see just how Naruto had managed to defeat the twisted jester without receiving a single scratch and this was the perfect opportunity to do so. Naruto glanced towards Hisoka to see his reaction but it would seem that he was too absorbed into his bloodlust to notice or he just didn't care. His attention was focused on him and nothing else.

His mind drifted through the various abilities he possessed and the ones he would use during his match. He was in a decent sized room but nothing too big which meant that he couldn't use anything too explosive because it would lead to property damage, injuries to the audience, or even death unless he reinforced the entire room with barrier seals to contain the blast thus keeping both the building and the audience safe. He glanced at Hisoka as a thought occurred. 'But if I use something too destructive, I might end up crippling or killing Hisoka and that's not my intention here.'

Despite Hisoka's blood thirsty nature, Naruto didn't hold any ill will towards the man. Past experience had taught him not to judge people right away as there is more to than what meets the eye. Kurama was the first person that popped into his mind. For a great deal of time, Kurama was viewed as a mindless beast capable of nothing but destruction and hatred. He himself had believed so after his initial meeting with him. But it was only after he formed a bond with him that he discovered that the tailed beast was not what he was made out to be. He was very intelligent and cunning if his past attempt at escaping the confines of his cage was anything to go by. He was also very prideful in the power he amassed and the number of tails he possessed. He would often boast about his greatness over his siblings. And more importantly, he had an interesting character. Who's to say Hisoka didn't possess another side or had a reason as to why he became the way he did?

"Are you ready to begin Naruto-san?" Naruto's thought came to a halt as he turned towards the speaker. He could see several twitches in Hisoka's hand indicating how eager he was to start the match. This brought him back to his issue at hand, trying to decide which abilities he would use during his fight.

'I guess I'll simply wing it as usual. It's not like I haven't done it before.' He thought to himself. He would start off simple then adjust as the match went on. "I'm all set to go Hisoka-chan. In fact, you're free to start whenever you're ready." As soon as those words left his mouth, Hisoka was upon him in a blur. Blue eyes followed the jesters' movement as he slashed downwards with a simple playing card. Naruto idly wondered if he was using this nen energy as Hisoka called it to enhance the card. That would explain how those simple cards were capable of cutting trees or through people. He really needed to learn more about nen really soon to understand it full capabilities.

Naruto sidestepped the initial attack and brought his knee upwards striking the jester in the stomach. Hisoka spat saliva as his feet left the ground. The world blurred around him as he flew backwards. Without missing a beat, Naruto leaned forwards and pushed off the ground propelling himself towards the airborne jester. As he approached Hisoka, he noticed something about him. Hisoka had somehow managed to stop himself midair by something invisible.

Before Naruto had a chance to fully assess the situation, Hisoka's body shot back to where he came as if some invisible elastic had bound him to a specific spot. The moment Hisoka's feet struck the ground, he quickly spun around as he slid across the ground and tossed several playing cards in the direction of his opponent.

Naruto gawked from his positon as several cards flew towards him. He quickly reached into his pocket and retrieved a small marble sized orb. With the orb firmly in his hand, he tossed it at Hisoka at an impressive speed. Hisoka tilted his head to the side dodging the projectile thus proven to be a mistake.

Hisoka's eyes widened as Naruto vanished before his very eyes. His playing cards struck the walls and ceiling of the room. Having experienced the origami from hell as the others referred to it as, he had an idea as to where the elder went. Unfortunately he didn't have time to react. He felt pain erupt from his back and he found himself catapulted forward once more. He extended his right arm to his side and allowed his bungee gum to stick to the floor. As soon as he reached a certain distance, he willed his aura to retract. The effects of such an action not only stopped his advancement thus avoiding the wall but he had changed his trajectory.

Naruto watched in mild fascination as Hisoka changed his trajectory using some sort of invisible stretchy material. Instead of flying towards the walls, he was now flying towards him. As Hisoka closed the gap between him and his foe, he withdrew several playing cards and tossed it. Naruto idly wondered where he was pulling all these cards from as he dodged them with a simple flip.

As soon as Hisoka was close enough, he quickly engaged Naruto in hand to hand combat despite the disadvantage he had against him. Having fought Naruto once, he was fully aware of the difference in their speed, strength, and reflexes. But despite the differences, he still engaged him for one simple reason.

Bungee Gum

All he needed to do was land at least one blow on the elder blonde and apply his ability. Once applied, he would be able to affect his movement and thus turn the match in his favor.

Warning bells went off inside Naruto's head as Hisoka engaged him in close combat. He knew Hisoka wasn't stupid enough to engage him in hand to hand combat without some sort of plan. Their previous match had revealed exactly who was superior in that area. An image of Akatsuki member Hidan quickly appeared in his mind. Did Hisoka possess ability similar to Hidan? He didn't look like the type but looks can be deceiving. Either way, whether or not he had the ability didn't matter. He simply needed to avoid getting cut. After all, Hidan's ability needed a drop of his enemy's blood to work. He didn't get much time to contemplate when Hisoka unleashed a barrage of attacks on him. Naruto quickly dodged and deflected each attack with utmost precision. He was not about to test that theory at all. That's something a masochist would do he was not that type of person.

As soon as he saw an opening, Naruto took it. He applied a small bit of energy and thrust his palm towards Hisoka's unguarded stomach launching him backwards again and just like before, Hisoka managed to recover and reengage using something invisible and stretchy. But instead of his hands, Hisoka pulled out two cards.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Netero-san, were you aware that Hisoka was a nen user?" Buhara stared at the exchange between the two combatants intently. After watching the few exchanges, he was able to learn a few things outside of the obvious such as Hisoka's ability to use nen. Naruto had yet to use gyo which led him to believe that either he didn't know about it or he forgot about it. He was willing to bet that it was the former which meant that Naruto's knowledge about Nen wasn't so great. He wouldn't be surprised if he didn't even know the name of the energy he possessed. Still, despite not knowing about aura and its applications, he was using it very effectively. He had Hisoka on the ropes. He was truly a genius of nen to pull off something like that.

"I had a feeling but no concrete proof until now that is" responded Netero as he watched the battle. He idly wondered who else knew how to use Nen. His attention temporarily averted to the pinned faced combatant. He was another person he believed to possess knowledge on nen. "I believe a reevaluation is in order. If there are nen users here as skilled as Hisoka, then I will simply grant them hunter status then test those who lack the knowledge. After all, the whole point of the hunter exam is to separate the ordinary from the extraordinary. Testing those who already have a strong grasp on nen would be a complete waste of time." His statement was met with shocked looks from the other examiners but no one argued against his logic as if did made sense in a way. Plus it wouldn't hurt the hunter association to add a few more hunters into their ranks especially powerful ones like Hisoka.

"Wouldn't that mean you'll have to adjust the bracket?" Menchi's eyes had yet to leave the match out of fear that she would miss something interesting. This match was much more intense than she would have imagined. To think, this exam contained people like these two was surprising to say the least. It was no wonder why the others were so weary of those two. They fought just like seasoned warriors. Menchi made a side note to educate Naruto on Nen after this match. If he was this powerful now without the proper knowledge of the energy he was using, imagine what he would be like once he did acquire said knowledge. He could very well become one of the greatest hunters ever. 'I wonder what type of nen he has.' She made a mental note to find out later when she educated him that way she would kill two birds with one stone.

"That would be correct Menchi-san. But before I make the changes, we need to find out exactly who's qualified. After this match, I want each of you to speak with each contestant but don't mention nen or anything associated with it. Instead I want you to be as discreet as possible when questioning them. Once you find those individuals, I want you to bring them to me so that I can gauge them personally." Menchi and the others nodded their heads in acceptance to the task at hand. "Oh my, it looks like things heating up."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Naruto dodged a furry of strikes from the jester in rapid succession. His theory about Hisoka possessing abilities similar to Hidan was reinforced by Hisoka's increased efforts to draw blood. He quickly stepped back and teleported to the small orb lying several feet away. Upon arrival, he quickly ducked low to allow a card to sail by avoiding a potential fatal blow. Hisoka had apparently factored in the possibility that he would use the orb again. He was a very observant man which was a good thing for a warrior.

'I wonder just how observant he can be' thought Naruto as a planned hatched within his mind. He quickly turned towards Hisoka as he summoned several more orbs. A mischievous grin settled across his face as he began his preparation. Hisoka was definitely going to love his next set of moves once he regained consciousness that is.

"Alright Hisoka, it's time to turn up the heat." Hisoka tensed as Naruto tossed the orbs in the air. His eyes quickly darted from one orb to another as he calculated where each of them would fall. By doing so, he would know every location Naruto could teleport to thus minimizing the amount of surprise attacks. His skin color paled unnaturally as those orbs multiplied tenfold and scattered across the room floor covering almost every square feet. Amber eyes scanned the entire room for the ones closest to him. That was where Naruto would attack after all. There were pauses in between teleports, so that would be his only window of opportunity to attack.

"Fun fact, back in my old village, my father was known as Konoha's yellow flash for decimating an army within minutes using a technique very similar to this." Naruto motioned around to the various orbs scattered about. "For that he received an S-ranked bounty with a flee on sight. He was considered the fastest shinobi surpassing all. That was until I was born." Naruto stretched as he prepared for his performance. "Word of advice Hisoka, don't blink"

A flash of yellow

That was the last thing he saw before pain erupted from his stomach. But it didn't end there. Before his body could move in any direction, he felt another impact immediately. There were no pauses in between teleport as he initially believed. It was instantaneous making it hard to counterattack. Hisoka didn't have time to ponder on his newfound knowledge as yellow flashes filled his vision. Each flash was new pain added to his body. Pushing pass the pain inflicted upon him, Hisoka slowly released several streams of bungee gum from different parts of his body. He knew he wouldn't be able to catch the speed demon with speed but that didn't mean he was out of options. If he could only stick him with his bungee gum, then maybe he could stop his assault.

Naruto continued his brutal assault on the jester without pause and ended with an upwards kick bringing the jester airborne.

'And now the ultimate finisher' He drew his arm back as he charged his palm with energy. As Hisoka's body dropped, he thrust his palm forward striking him again but this time his body was thrown at a higher distance. Hisoka's body struck the ceiling creating spider webs on impact. Hisoka was rendered unconscious instantly.

As Naruto stepped forward in preparation to catch jester's unconscious form, he stepped on one of the streams Hisoka set before his flight to the ceiling. The sticky trap went off and Naruto was flung towards the ceiling at high speeds right towards the jester's unconscious form. Quickly, he teleported to one of the orbs positioned right beneath jester before he reached the halfway point.

'I really need to learn more about this nen.' Had that been a match between equals, that trap could have been his downfall. During the entire match, he didn't know what Hisoka was using or how to counter it. The only reason why this didn't affect him was because of the difference in natural abilities and his experience from his shinobi life. If he were to fight someone whose natural abilities and experience match if not surpass him, he would be in trouble.

Naruto's gaze turned upwards as he prepared to catch his foe again though he was a bit wary about possible traps this time. If he stepped on another trap, he would be ready to react much quickly than before. The sight he was greeted to was surprising to say the least. Hisoka's body was dangling a few feet from the ceiling. 'He probably stuck himself to the ceiling to remain outside of my range of teleportation right before he lost consciousness. That was a smart move'

'Well, I guess I'll have to go up there myself' the orbs surrounding the room dispersed revealing the original handful of orbs he tossed. With a simple mental command, he recalled every orb he had unsealed back to its storage at once. As he prepared to leap towards Hisoka, a voice stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Don't worry about him Naruto-san" Netero stepped forward with glowing eyes. "You won't be able to pull him down through normal means. I will personally retrieve him. But in the meanwhile, Menchi will escort you to our meeting location. There are a few things she wishes to discuss with you." Naruto nodded his head then turned to the gourmet hunter.

"Please lead the way Menchi-chan" Menchi blinked in surprise at the suffix added to her name but said nothing. Right now she had a task at hand to perform.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"What the hell just happened?" Pokkle stared at Netero leapt to the ceiling and remove Hisoka's body in one swift motion. His mind replayed the match he witnessed or at least to a certain extent. Some of their motions were too fast for him to keep up with thus he had to use his imagination as to what was going on. But Naruto's last move left him in a state of confusion. The only thing he saw were flashes of yellow and the final attack that ended it. There was no way these guys were human. How could a person move that fast?

"Instant teleportation" responded Hanzo. Having experienced Naruto's plank from hell, he was aware of Naruto's teleportation based paper constructs but he had no idea how it worked. Each time Naruto flashed away, he would scan the area as quickly as he could to locate the blonde elite ninja, a task that was proven to be a lot harder than he imagined. The only thing he managed to do was track some of the flashes that occurred whenever Naruto teleported and his last attack. He felt a blow to his pride as a shinobi as he should have been able to at least track some of Naruto's movements to an extent yet he didn't. He needed more training as soon as possible. But for now he just had to hope he wasn't paired up against him or that would have to retake the exam next year. That wasn't something he was looking forward to.

"I'd really pity the person that has to compete against him for the finals. That's a guaranteed loss." Siper knew that there was a difference between her and the young blonde but she didn't think the difference was this big. The fact that he was younger than her was like adding salt to wound.

"Hey Kurapika, do you think we'll ever reach that level?" Leorio whispered to Kurapika. Having seen the small orbs up close, he was able to see the intricate design that was fuinjutsu located directly in the middle. "I wonder how he got such a complex formula into those small orbs. Is this something only a fuinjutsu master could accomplish?" if he could accomplish something like this, he would be able to move around the world with ease. By doing so, he would reach his patients much faster.

"I'm not sure" started Kurapika. "But under Naruto's teaching, I'm sure we'll be able to accomplish some amazing feats." Kurapika was now looking towards his lessons more than ever. With the power of fuinjutsu, his goals will become a lot easier. The phantom troupe wouldn't stand a chance against him.

"Excuse me ladies and gentlemen" All heads turned towards the speaker which was none other than Satotz, the examiner of the first phase. Standing directly behind him were the other examiners minus the green haired woman. "There are a few questions I would like to ask each of you if you don't mind that is."


	11. Chapter 11

**Gon Freecss** **examinee #405**

 **Killua Zoldyck** **#99**

 **Leorio Paradinight** **#403**

 **Kurapika** **#404**

 **Gittarackur** **#301**

Netero glanced at the faces of the gathered individuals with a mild interest. They were the only ones amongst the remaining contenders that knew how use without knowing what it was. Gon, Leorio, Kurapika, and Killua had referred to nen as magic much to his amusement. The only people that refer to nen as such were ordinary people. Gittarackur or rather Illumi on the other hand knew about nen and was proficient in its usage. There was also Hisoka but he was still recovering from his fight. Netero made a mental note to visit him later about his choice to grant him hunter status.

Now normally in a case like this, he would have dismissed the four contenders and pass both Illumi and Hisoka but despite not knowing about the many aspects of nen, they knew how to utilize it to a certain extent. In less than a month, they had their aura nodes unlocked and learned how to keep it from leaving their bodies thus successfully learning ten, one of the four major principles of nen. Based on what he was told, they learned ten before the third phase which meant that all four of them learned ten in less than a day. That was surprising to say the least. Most people took days, weeks or even months to learn the technique. Then there was the fact that their teacher himself lacked proper knowledge on nen. How Naruto managed to pull off something like puzzled him.

But it didn't end there. Both Gon and Killua had somehow managed to learn Zetsu, another major principle of nen without any assistance or anything that would have led them to discovering the technique. The most bizarre part was that none of them were aware of the fact. Leorio and Kurapika were both studying fuinjutsu under Naruto so it would only be a matter of time before they became a force to be reckoned with. This of course placed Netero in quite a position. Hisoka and Illumi were more than qualified as a hunter but the others were a bit complicated.

While they weren't as skilled as Hisoka, they still possessed extraordinary qualities that separated them from the others. Even the most basics of nen could yield devastating effects against a normal person if used correctly. Then there were their natural skills to take into consideration. These four were skilled enough as it seems in terms of combat prowess. Add a little nen to that and the others with no knowledge or skill in nen would be in trouble minus Hanzo. One glance was all it took to know Hanzo's level in comparison to the others. The ninja wasn't far from Hisoka in terms of skills. All he needed was nen to close the gap a little more.

Netero stroked his beard as he thought about his next action. If he passed them along with Hisoka and Illumi, he would have 7 examinees left to compete which wasn't a bad number. There had been times where only one person made it to the final phase of the exams. Ging was the perfect example of such an occurrence. The remaining contenders would have an equal opportunity to become a hunter while the hunter association would benefit from the slight boost in numbers. It was a win-win situation for everyone. The more Netero thought about it, the more logical it became to grant the group in front of him hunter status. With that last thought in mind, Netero came to a sound decision.

"After much consideration, I have decided to grant you all the status of hunter." This piece of information shocked them with the exception of the impassive Illumi in disguise. "Frankly, the introduction of nen is something that occurs sometime after the hunter exam. It's rare to find individuals that enter the exam with such knowledge or better yet, the ability to use nen. With that being said, congratulations and welcome to the ranks of hunter. We will have your hunter license delivered to you within the next few hours. So in the meantime, please feel free to enjoy your stay. You're all welcomed to stay for the exams if you so desire." Netero stood up, dusted himself off, and then proceeded to leave the room.

Kurapika glanced around the room in shock at what just happened. His mind went over everything that took place after the fight between Hisoka and Naruto. First they were approached by the examiners with various questions regarding magic or nen as it would seem. They were very discreet in their questioning method but based on the content of their questions, he knew they were asking about the energy Naruto taught them. Kurapika answered honestly as did the others in his group. After the questioning was over, Kurapika and his group along with #301 was escorted to Netero by Buhara. As soon as they reached their destination, Buhara left the room.

'It would seem that Naruto's decision to teach us about nen gave us more than an edge over the other contenders' He made a mental note to thank his teacher for everything he's done so far. It was because of him that they passed the hunter exams without taking the final phase. Based on the conversation they just had with Netero, Nen was supposed to be a secret to everyone that wasn't a hunter. Since Hisoka wasn't a hunter, he probably discovered it on his own much like Naruto. He glanced at Gittarackur as he left the room in silence. He probably learned it on his own as well. It would seem that there was more to the silent killer than he imagined.

"Alright, I'm finally a hunter" Gon pumped his fist in triumph then high fived Killua. Killua cheered loudly though for different reasons. Whether or not he became a hunter didn't matter to him at all. He was just caught up in the moment by Gon's cheerful nature. Leorio grinned at the news they received. Now that he was a hunter, he would be able to attend the greatest medic schools at the cost of nothing and learn how to become one of the greatest doctors in the world. Then there was his fuinjutsu lesson with Naruto. Once he learned the intricate art, he would be able to perform all sorts of miracles. Images of him teleporting across the world and saving people for the cost of nothing played through his mind. People would know his name around the world.

"So where will we go from here?" Killua's question brought everyone back to reality. He glanced around the room as he tried to figure out for himself where he would go from here. He didn't make any plans beyond the hunter exams. In fact, he had joined the hunter exams on a whim and it was the best decision he's ever made. He made some wonderful friends and he got to see some cool things happen.

Friends

'Wait, I could always travel with Gon wherever he's going' he glanced at his cheerful friend. Gon probably wouldn't mind plus he did say there was hardly anyone his age on whale Island so he didn't have much friends. If anything, he would welcome him with open arms. Yes, that's what he was going to do next.

"I wouldn't mind staying around a bit to see how the others perform" answered Leorio. "There's also the fact that Naruto's still here and he is my fuinjutsu teacher." Kurapika blinked in surprise. That's right, he had almost forgotten about that major detail. Where was the blonde elder? He should have been here along with them considering the fact that he was the one that taught them nen even though he didn't know about the proper terms. Maybe he already received hunter status already. That would have made a lot of sense. He was after all the strongest contender of them all.

"The last time I saw him was with Menchi." The others quickly turned towards Killua as soon as he said that. "She's probably interested in his cooking. I can't imagine anything else." It made sense considering the fact that Menchi was a gourmet hunter and that Naruto's cooking had intrigued her. There couldn't have been any other reason or so Kurapika reasoned.

"I guess we'll be staying here to see the final exams then. But in the meantime, let's find our rooms and then find Naruto. I'm eager to continue my fuinjutsu lessons with him."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

'Just what exactly is he?' That was the question on Menchi's mind as she watched Naruto honed his newly acquired Gyo, a technique that only took him several minutes to learn. Apparently Gyo was similar to applying chakra to his eyes, something that confused her greatly as she had no idea what chakra was to begin with. Seeing as he didn't elaborate on what chakra was meant it wasn't really important thus she left it alone.

"So with Gyo, I should be able to see Hisoka's aura?" Menchi nodded her as she continued observing him. So far within the span of 2 hours, Naruto had properly learned everything he needed to know about Ten, Zetsu, Ren, Hatsu, and Gyo. The rate in which he absorbed everything was abnormal. It was as if the only thing he lacked was the correct terms and the details behind what each technique did.

Speaking of abnormal, Menchi glanced at the small glass of water or what use to be a glass of water. Before she began teaching him anything, she had used to the glass of divination out of curiosity to determine his aura type. Considering his personality and natural strength, she'd imagine him as an enhancer. The results were confusing to say the least. Both the water and the leaf transformed into a multitude of mineral rocks. It was as if someone had taken samples of different mineral rocks, glued them together, and somehow managed to squeeze them into the glass of water without damaging the glass somehow. The only thing she learned from the results was that he was a specialist instead of an enhancer as she initially believed and that his personality didn't reflect his aura type like majority of the hunters she'd met. Menchi was at loss of words.

The sound of footsteps followed by the opening of the doors caught her attention. Menchi turned towards the doors just as Netero and her fellow hunters entered the room.

The first thing Netero noticed upon entering the room was the small glass of mineral rocks placed on the table followed by Naruto's practice of the Gyo technique. His attention shifted to Menchi as he released a low whistle. "And here I am thinking he's an enhancer type. Naruto doesn't strike me as a specialist. He seems too honest or at least from my point of view" The other examiners turned their attention towards the glass as they each settled into a comfortable seating position.

"I wonder what these results mean." Satotz didn't know much about the specialization field. Specialist was one of the most vague nen types due to a lack of knowledge and recorded users. Most hunters usually fall into the other categories being Enhancer, Transmuter, Emitter, Conjurer, and Manipulator.

"Well each mineral stones have different strengths and weaknesses on their own" The other hunters turned towards Buhara as he explained his theory. "I was thinking, by having several mineral stones together, maybe it means he possess equal strength within the other categories but none of the weaknesses. I mean, if you look at the rocks closely, you'll notice that they are all equal." Buhara scratched his chin as he tried to make sense of what he just said but after a few seconds went by, he lost his train of thoughts.

"That actually makes sense in a way" mused Netero. He scanned the rocks intently to see if what Buhara stated was true and sure enough, it was. There was an equal amount of various mineral rocks throughout the entire glass and there wasn't a single gap between the stones and the glass. It was as if the stone's shape was molded by the glass itself.

"What would have happened if I did fall into one of those other category?" Naruto wasn't sure how the whole glass divination worked. What he did know was that this test showed one's aura type somehow. Lippo turned towards Naruto as he explained the different results.

"For an enhancer, the water volume would have changed. Transmuter would have changed the taste of the water. Conjurer adds impurities to the water. An Emitter would have changed the water to a different color. A manipulator would have simply moved the leaf without disturbing the water. Every other reaction not following those 5 are considered specialist. The result of a specialist varies from person to person hence the reason for our lack of understanding in that area."

"Maybe it has something to with his abilities which revolve around those strange symbols" Satotz thought back to the strange symbols he saw inside the small orbs before Hisoka's swift defeat. As a ruins hunter, he was no stranger to weird symbols. He had a general idea as to the origins of each written language but upon seeing the language written within the small orbs, he was for once stumped. He had never seen anything like it before. Naruto blinked in surprise before realizing that they didn't know about fuinjutsu.

"That is an art known as fuinjutsu and it doesn't have anything to do with Nen. Fuinjutsu was an art that stemmed from my old world." This created confusion amongst the entire group which prompted Naruto to mentally face plant. That's right, they didn't know about his reincarnation either. "Long story short, I'm a lot older than what I appeared. I died and reincarnated in my younger form. Considering the age in which I died plus the time I've been here, I believe my age should be approximately 96 years old."

Menchi, Satotz, and Lippo were doing the perfect imitation of a fish while Netero grinned at the revelation. That explained the feeling he got when he saw the boy's eyes. He wasn't too far behind him in terms of age and he probably has a great deal of combat experience under his belt.

"That would explain some things" mumbled Menchi as she slowly recovered from the piece of information she just received.

"Yes it does" agreed Satotz. He would have never imagined this young looking boy to be so old. It would seem that it was true about what they said about appearances being deceiving. Netero cleared his throat as he moved on to other subjects, mainly Naruto's journey in the Dark Continent. This was the reason why he assembled them here. There was bound to be some information in which they would be able to learn from his story. He placed the small pile of journals he brought with him then proceeded to speak.

"Alright, let's get down to the main point of this meeting which is Naruto's experience inside the Dark Continent." The others perked up at this. Netero had informed them all of the fact that Naruto was inside the Dark Continent and survived. But now they had the opportunity to hear everything that went down from the survivor himself. Naruto took this as his que then began his tale.

"Alright, listen up everyone as I retell my tale of the Dark Continent"

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **8 hours later**

Naruto stretched as he exited the room. His meeting with the Netero and the others was a lot longer than he had imagined but he wasn't bothered by that at all. After hearing about the outcome of the previous voyages and the amount of information they managed to retrieve or rather the lack of, he was glad to be of assistance. He had provided everything he remembered from the environment he traversed to the creatures he fought. He even showed them some of the materials and treasure he gained from his expedition, something that apparently shocked them to the core. Even Netero expressed how shocked he was at what he showed them. Apparently the treasure and materials he had revealed to them were worth a fortune. That was surprising to say the least.

'If they freaked out over that little bit then I wonder what would happen if I showed them everything.' Naruto chuckled as he imagined their facial expression. That would have been a funny sight to watch. 'Still, to think all this time I've been carrying a fortune. But at least I don't have to worry about money anymore. The question right now is, what will I do with all of it'

…

…

…

Naruto's head snapped towards his right where he sensed two negative emotions. His body reacted before his mind could process anything and before he knew it, he found himself standing in front of one of the sources. It was a young man with long black hair and black pupiless eyes. Said man was had his arm reached out towards Killua while emitting his aura. Naruto didn't even wait to assess the situation. Instead, he sprang into action immediately.

Pain

That was the last thing Illumi felt as his body flew towards the wall behind him. He didn't even get a chance to see his attacker which spoke volumes of his attackers speed. The only person capable of moving at such speeds that was willing to protect Killua was Naruto. Illumi felt his body crash through several walls then slid across the ground before coming to a complete stop. 'At least I know what Hisoka experienced during his match. That was one hell of a kick'

"Are you okay Killua?" Killua blinked in surprise. When did Naruto get here and where was his older brother. He soon got his answer when he noticed the newly holes in various walls. His mind pieced together what just occurred seconds ago. Naruto had apparently sent his brother flying through several walls. Just the image of his older brother flying like a ragdoll sent Killua in a fit of giggles. Naruto tilt his head in confusion.

"Did I miss something?" Naruto wasn't sure what was going on but based on Killua's laugher, it would seem that it wasn't anything bad. But still, what did that guy want with Killua? He was definitely targeting Killua.

"That was my older brother Illumi. He came under the disguise of Gittarackur." Killua's smile quickly went away. "Apparently my okaa-san sent him out to retrieve me but he lost track of me. It was only a coincidence that he encountered me in the exams." Killua released a sigh of weariness. He should have imagined that something like this would happen. Why his family couldn't let him decide things on his own.

"Sounds like you have some family problems back at home."

"You have no idea" Naruto placed a comforting hand on his shoulders and gently squeezed it.

"If you want me to, I could speak to your family." Killua's head snapped towards Naruto immediately. Hope shone brightly from his blue eyes. If anyone could convince his family to leave him in peace then it had to be Naruto. Maybe he could use some of his old sagely advice or something along those lines.

"Killua are you okay?" Killua's attention shifted to his right as Gon, Leorio, and Kurapika approached him. Several examiner assistants slowly filtered the area to investigate the disturbance. It would seem that his little stunt was a bit louder than he thought.

"We heard a loud ruckus and came immediately. We were worried that Killua might have been involved and it seemed we were correct." Kurapika scanned the room as he tried to figure out what exactly went down. He noticed several abnormalities such as the various holes that lead to the young man whom was slowly standing up. Considering Naruto's positon and the unknown person, he was able to deduce that the unnamed man probably attacked or threatened Killua. Naruto saw this and reacted like any good friend would in that situation. So the unknown man was hostile towards Killua. Kurapika kept his attention on him just in case he tried something else.

"Sorry about the disturbance everyone" as soon as those words left Naruto's mouth, he had gained the attention of everyone in the area minus Kurapika whom kept his eye on Illumi. "Illumi was curious about my strength and I may have gone a bit overboard." He chuckled nervously while the assistants seemed to accept it. Gon and Leorio on the other hand knew that wasn't the case but remained silent. If anything, they would learn what really went down. Kurapika having deduced what occurred had no intention of pursuing the issue. He was sure Naruto handled whatever the issue was.

Their moment was interrupted as another assistant charged into the room in a state of panic. "Contender #80 and 111 are locked in a death match. We need some assistance separating them." Naruto idly thought back to the second dark emotion he felt. Was there something similar to what just occurred with Killua or something else? Either way what was going on today?

"Let's go see what's going on" Gon took off immediately as soon as he said that. Naruto shrugged his shoulders and followed in suite. The others quickly followed his example as they were curious as to what was going on. It would seem that several individuals were on the edge today.

Illumi winced as he walked away from the area. It would seem that his plan to force Killua had failed. Having seeing how protective Naruto was of his little brother and personally witnessing his strength, he was wary about a second attempt. In fact, simply calling home and reporting this piece of information to his okaa-san seemed to be the most logical choice at this point. Upsetting Naruto would most likely have unpleasant consequences.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"It looks like we missed the action again" Gon glanced around the room with a slightly dejected look. Based on the destruction of the entire area, there was a fight that took place here and it was a good one. Gon noticed something peculiar from the corner of his eye and turned towards it right away. It was there he found #111 retrained by Netero. Right across from #111 was #80 and she was retrained by Buhara and Menchi. Both contenders were glaring daggers at one another, almost as if they were trying to kill one another with just a glare.

"I wonder what happened."

"It would seem that there's some bad history between #111 and 80." Naruto turned towards Hisoka's voice and greeted him.

"Hey Hisoka, you look…..err….amazing" Naruto smiled awkwardly at the damage he caused the jester. It would seem that he did a lot more damage than he initially thought if the various bandages around his arm and torso were anything to go by. Maybe he put too much attack power behind his final blow. But he was pretty sure Hisoka was sturdy enough.

"It was one of the greatest fights I've experienced. It was also an eye opening experience for me. I have a long way to go before I'm able to catch up to you and I doubt you'll remain stagnant in your abilities." Naruto shook his head confirming his beliefs. He had lost a great deal of power during his reincarnation. If he was to regain the level he once had or surpass it, he needed to train harder than he imagined which shouldn't be hard since his body was no longer that of an old man. Hisoka allowed a smile to grace his lips. This was exactly what he wanted to hear.

"Anyway, I will be departing soon. In a weird twist of fate, I became a hunter without participating in the final exams. It would seem that Netero was pleased by my performance." Using his only free card, Hisoka reached into his pocket and retrieved a small card. "My contact information is written on this card in the event that you acquire a cell phone." Naruto took the card and placed it in his pocket for the time being.

"Thank you Hisoka-chan. I'll contact you once I purchase one." Satisfied with his answer, Hisoka walked away without another word.

"Well, since nothing's going on here, how about those fuinjutsu lessons" Leorio rubbed his hands in anticipation which in turn caused Naruto to smile. Seeing his pupil so eager to learn fuinjutsu filled his heart with joy.

"Alright, let's head to a private area first though" It was in this moment that Kurapika chose to speak up.

"Well, we managed to secure several rooms next to one another. We can move to Leorio or my own room for fuinjutsu sessions." Naruto nodded his head in acceptance then motioned for them to lead the way.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes:** SoI made a small error in the number of participants. There were actually 8 contenders left.

 **Rock** ( _examinee #86_ )

 **Siper** ( _#80_ )

 **Anita** ( _#111_ )

 **Ponzu** ( _#246_ )

 **Hanzo** ( _#294_ )

 **Bodoro** ( _#191_ )

 **Pokkle** ( _#53_ )

 **Geretta** ( _#384_ )

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **3 days later- Final phase of hunter exam**

'So this is it' Rock glanced around the room as he sized up each potential opponent. With the exception of himself, there were only 7 contenders left, one of which he would face soon. He glanced over in the direction of the current hunters where he saw Gon, Leorio, Kurapika, Killua, and Naruto standing in anticipation for the upcoming matches. The fact that they were separated from the competition wasn't missed by any of the current examinees. This meant one of two things. They were either disqualified which was highly unlikely or they were promoted to hunter status. Rock didn't care either way. To him having less competition meant that he had a higher chance to succeed especially considering the fact that the most dangerous contenders were no longer competing. If he were paired against Hisoka, Naruto, or Gittarackur, he would have lost the match as soon as it began. This was the last obstacle between him and his dreams. He had to succeed no matter what.

Siper glared daggers #111 while she cursed inwardly. How could she have not noticed who she was until now? She could have eliminated her during the previous phase of the exam and avenged her father without interference or consequences. She clenched her fist in anger as she thought about what happened with her father. Her father was an honest man that made his fortune as a blacklist hunter. After years of hunting and arresting villains of various natures, he retired to open up a restaurant in order to spend more time with his family. Everything was wonderful until he met a certain spice merchant. That was when their entire world turned upside down.

The silver tongued merchant had approach her father about a business deal. She wasn't sure what the details pertained but she did know that it involved exotic spices. From the limited information she had gathered, the merchant sold her father a great deal of spices in which he would use in his dishes. The merchant made money off selling his spices while her father enjoyed the increase of overall customers.

None of them were aware of the nature of the spices with the exception of the merchant. The merchant had withheld such information for the sake of profiting money off the suffering of others. When her father did eventually discover what the spice was doing to his customer, he quickly called the merchant and questioned him. When the merchant failed to answer him, her father threatened him.

Out of fear for his life, the merchant revealed the true nature of the spices. Enraged by what he learned, her father destroyed the contract with him and walked away with the intention of reporting him to the hunter association. To prevent such a thing from happening, the merchant hired an unnamed assassin to eliminate him and his family.

Blood flowed from her hands as she recalled the events of her parent's assassination and her brush with death. It was only thanks to her father's strong will and determination to protect her that she had survived. When word of the merchant's death at the hands of the Zoldyck assassin reached her ears, she celebrated with such glee. The man that ruined her life was dead. She thanked the existence of the family of assassins. In her eyes, they were heroes. She would have given up everything just to see the light leave that man's eyes. But now she had the perfect opportunity to remove the man's spawn from the world of the living. As soon as she was matched up against her, she was going to take her head, consequences or not.

Anita glared back at #80 intensely. How dare she accuse her father of such horrible things? Her father was not a drug merchant and he definitely had nothing to do with the death of that girl's parents. He was not like that at all. Her father was an honest man that made his fortune through blood, sweat, and tears. Besides, if anyone had the right to be angry then it was her. Her father was murdered in cold blood by the Zoldyck family and she was going to avenge him. But first she had this woman to worry about. She needed to eliminate her before moving to her main target, Killua. With Hisoka gone, she was free to take that boy's head then display it for the world to see and more specifically the Zoldyck family. They would regret taking that contract to kill her father.

Geretta watched the intense stare down as a bead of sweat rolled down his neck. There was clearly some sort of bad history between these two and they'll probably rip each other's throat out at the first opportunity they received. Well it's not like it mattered to him. If anything, that would simply lower the amount of competition and increase his chance of passing the exam. He glanced over to the other contenders to see their reaction to this but none of them were paying attention. They were all focused on Netero waiting to see what the final phase of the exam would be just as he should be doing. Geretta turned away from the bitter pair and focused his attention on the upcoming task. He was so close to passing the exams.

"This is complete bullshit" All eyes quickly went to the person who said this which was none other than Pokkle. Pokkle pointed at the group of newly made hunters as he voiced the reason for his outburst. "Why are those guys over there instead of here with us? They should be competing with us too. Why are they getting special treatment?" There was no way he was going to let something like this pass. He had gone through the same hardships that they experienced so why wasn't he granted hunter status as well.

"That's right" Naruto chimed in catching the entire group off guard. "Why am I getting special treatment? I should be fighting in the final exams as well." He huffed in fake annoyance prompting the other hunters to smile. They were curious as to what the other contenders would say about that especially after his match with Hisoka.

"Hell no" was Rock's quick response. By now, all heads turn towards the man as he waved his arms back and forth in complete rejection to the idea. If Naruto end up joining the exam, the chances of passing would no doubt drop. In fact, depending on the task they received, he was confident that someone was guaranteed to fail if not most of them. Geretta silently agreed with the rock climber. Naruto was definitely out of their league and he knew that all too well. He was perfectly content earning his hunter license the normal way.

Netero rubbed his chin as he carefully eyed the group. "Do you all feel the same way?" No one spoke much to the annoyance of Pokkle. It would seem that everyone else was willing to let things slide. Did they not care about the unfairness of the situation? When no one said a word, Netero turned his gaze upon the young man, an action that caused him to flinch for reasons he wasn't sure of. It wasn't like the old man's stare contained any ill will. Maybe his reaction was due to the fact that he was in the spotlight. "Is there anything you'd want me to do Pokkle-san? I'm open to suggestions here."

Pokkle's mouth moved as he tried to find his voice but his brain was having a hard time processing what he just heard. It took him a few seconds before his brain caught up but he still found it hard to speak. What could he suggest to Netero that would benefit not only him but everyone else? After all, if he were to demand hunter status just because a select few received it, it would look as if he simply threw a tantrum just to get things his way. Pokkle remained in silence as he tried to think of something that would help him become a hunter while making it fair for the other contenders. When Pokkle didn't respond, Netero turned towards the blonde elder.

"What about you Naruto? Do you have a suggestion?" Naruto blinked in surprise. He wasn't expecting Netero to question him as well but he responded none the less.

"Well that depends" Naruto started. "Is there a restriction or quota for the amount of hunters allowed to pass the exam?" Netero merely shook his head at this. If memory served him correctly, there haven't been any recent changes to the rules in regards to the hunter exams not that it mattered any way. He was the chairman of the association. He could change any rule he wanted to though he would only do so if it was reasonable.

"There haven't been any changes to the rules recently so whoever manages to pass the exam becomes a hunter. It's as simple as that." Naruto nodded his head in acceptance. This would make things easier for him to come up with an idea. The question was, what could he possibly do that was challenging in a way but fair to everyone. He also wanted something that would put them in an uncomfortable position. He surveyed the room slowly as his mind processed what he knew about the remaining contenders. After a few minutes of brainstorming, he finally came up with a devious idea. Netero grinned at the mischief look Naruto had on his face. Whatever idea he managed to think of was bound to be entertaining.

"Alight Netero, I have a plan but I need at least 30 minutes of preparation and for this entire ring to be cleared."

Without question his as to what his idea was, Netero began the process of moving the contenders into the audience section giving Naruto plenty of room to work. With the area cleared, Naruto unsealed his fuinjutsu material and began his work.

Both Leorio and Kurapika watched the entire process intently making sure they didn't miss a single moment. After spending some time with Naruto and studying over the notes they received, they were able to decipher a few sections of his work. So far, he had placed a barrier around the area in which the contenders would fight soon. That barrier would keep them from leaving and contain all damage from spilling outward. The seals placed on the ground were no doubt reinforcement seals to prevent damage to the floor. For him to reinforce the grounds and a barrier meant one thing, whatever he had in mind was going to be big. A cold shiver ran down their spines at what was about to occur.

Naruto finished the last of his seal then stepped back to examine it for any flaws. When he didn't find any, he turned towards Netero. "Alright everything's complete. I want the fighters to reenter the ring." He turned towards his friends with an apologetic look. "Also to quell any thoughts about favoritism from the others, I want you all to participate in this phase as well to show them that you deserve to be hunters."

Killua merely shrugged in shoulders at this. If anything, he seemed a bit excited about fighting in this phase for the simple fact that Naruto was the one that created it thus it would most likely be entertaining. Naruto had yet to disappointment him so far. And it wasn't just Killua that was excited about it. Gon was sporting a large smile right now. Kurapika and Leorio on the other hand didn't seem bothered at all. Naruto released a small sigh at their reaction. None of them were displeased. "And if it helps in any way, I'll be participating as well." As soon as those last words left his mouth, he was met with cries of protest form the others.

Netero watched in amusement as majority of the contenders outright reject any idea of Naruto competing. The only one that didn't seem to care was Hanzo. Despite his tensed body, Hanzo seemed to be the only one that was willing to fight the strongest contender. Netero turned towards the small blonde and shook his head at this. While it would have been amusing to see him mop the floors with them, it was pointless in the end. A rain cloud formed over Naruto's head at the rejection but quickly went away as he went to explain the next task.

"Alright guys, the first thing I need you all to do is enter the ring." The contenders plus Gon and the others made their way into the ring and stood by for further instructions. Once they were all in place, Naruto continued. "The final phase of the exam will consist of a group battle." Naruto paused for a dramatic effect.

Several eyebrows rose up at upon hearing this. The final phase of the exam was going to a group battle? Did that mean they were going to separate into groups? If so, how was that group decided? Several contenders glanced around at each other as they sized one another up and down. They idly began to wonder how the groups would be created while hoping that they didn't get the weakest link on his or her team.

"The first group will consist of everyone here." Naruto paused again as confusion settled amongst both the contenders and the hunters alike. "As for your opponents, you'll find out as soon as you remove the red piece of paper located in the center of the ring. But before you do so, I should warn you all that removing the seal will signify the beginning of the match. As for the rules for this match, it's quite simple. You will all fight until the opposing side has been completely eliminated. Those who remain conscious after that will be granted hunter status. There is no time limit so take all the time you need. So without further ado you may begin when you're ready."

The contenders all stared at the red piece of paper positioned directly in the center of the ring just as Naruto said it would be. No one made a move to remove the seal in hopes that someone else was brave enough to do the deed. Gon glanced around the room for a few seconds then stepped forward with the intention of starting the exam. Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio followed behind for different reasons. Not a second later, Hanzo joined the group.

As soon as Gon was close enough to the seal, he reached down and pulled it from the ground triggering its functions. Leorio and Kurapika watched as aura pooled from one seal to another triggering one another like a domino effect in seconds. As soon as all seals were active, a bright light encompassed the entire room blinding both contenders and hunters alike.

As both competitors and viewers regained their vision, they were met with the sight of several blob figures rapidly rising and forming at the same time. Within seconds, the blob figures had taken on the appearance of every contender within the ring. Gon's eyes sparkled in delight at the replica in front of him. He turned towards Kurapika in excitement.

"Kurapika, look at-"

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Naruto winced as the newly formed Gon clone decked the original without warning. He flew across the room and straight into the barrier surrounding the entire ring. Gon quickly recovered and engaged his clone immediately. The other duplicates quickly engaged their original forms creating something akin to mayhem in the process. Having 22 opponents face off against each other inside a ring that was only meant to accompany 4 people max tends to do things like that.

"This is a bit chaotic Naruto and the match just started" commented Satotz as several fighters collided with one another. Despite the fact that they were informed that this was a group match, none of the contenders had teamed up with one another. Then again, it just couldn't be helped. Based on his observation of the match so far, these duplicates were evenly matched with the original. In fact, they were matching the originals blow for blow. Satotz was really curious about this fuinjutsu art Naruto spoke of before. He didn't go into details about what fuinjutsu did but based on what he saw so far, it was a powerful. For a single person to be able to teleport on a whim, create powerful barriers, and create clones of other people was beyond extraordinary. Naruto was definitely one of the strongest nen users in the world or that's what he truly believed. And to think, no one knew about him until now.

Netero watched in glee at the most bizarre match he's ever witnessed. Never in his life had he witnessed something like this before. He had met people capable of cloning themselves but this went beyond ordinary cloning. If it wasn't for the fact that the clones remained silent throughout the ordeal, he would have never been able to tell the difference between the clones and the original. Not only were the clones identical to the original, but to create clones of several people on this scale was unheard of until now that is. He monitored as the contenders remained on the defense. Fighting in tight spaces seemed to hamper their ability to fight freely. This was a lot better than what he would have done. Allowing Naruto to decide the last match was the greatest decision he'd made.

"It looks like Netero-san is enjoying himself." Buhara glanced over to the grinning old man then to his partner Menchi.

"Of course he's enjoying himself. This is the type of match he would have given the contenders. There's so much mayhem going on here. It's hard to fight in a condition like this." Menchi winced as one of the contenders took a blow to the face. It looked very painful from her point of view. To think she would encounter someone similar to Netero during the hunter exam.

"Hey guys, check out #86." Lippo pointed to the two rock climbers as they wrestled one another. Menchi and Buhara chuckled as the two men rolled around the ground in a futile attempt to force one another into submission. The 287th exam was definitely one of the most interesting ones so far. It would be hard for the future exams to compete with this one unless they somehow managed to find someone like Naruto that is which was highly improbable.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

'This is so annoying' Siper grit her teeth in annoyance as her doppelganger matched her attacks every step of the way. She cursed Pokkle for complaining about unfairness. Had he remained silent, she was sure that the final phase would have been a one on one match. That would have been the perfect time to kill her target. She jumped back to avoid another shot from her clone. These clones had inherited more than just their looks and skills. Each clone had the exact same weapons and items that the original contenders had which meant that her clone had a sniper and a great deal of hidden ammo to go with the skills. That thought alone annoyed her. 'I just need to off this thing off somehow' was her train of thought.

She glanced over at her target to see how she was doing. It was in that moment she saw a perfect opening. Anita currently had her back turned towards her as she faced her own duplicate. With her back turned, Siper had the perfect opportunity to take her out. Without thinking of the possible consequences that may occur or thinking at all, Siper withdrew her weapon, aimed, and fired.

Anita winced as pain erupted from her right shoulder. She glanced down as a sniper round exited her body and struck the barrier surrounding the ring. She cursed inwardly for her lack of attention to her surroundings. She should have known that Siper would have tried something like this during this exam but she was so occupied with her clone that she forgot. That was her last thought as her clone struck her down, the result of her distraction on the field.

"Gon watch out" Kurapika watched helplessly as the clones of both Anita and Siper closed in on Gon whom was occupied with his own clone. It would seem that in her attempt to assassinate Anita, Siper had dropped her guard down, something the clone capitalized on without a second thought. Anita's distraction had also cost her the match and now there were two enemies free to attack anyone as they pleased. Considering the fact that they were attacking the real Gon and not the clone meant that they were programmed to attack the originals only. Kurapika ducked a hand thrust then proceeded to engage his clone with a new vigor. He needed to eliminate his clone immediately to help Gon or ditch his clone for a few seconds somehow.

'Well, this got annoying' thought Killua as he noticed Gon's situation. He was currently being kicked around by his clone and the clones of both Anita and Siper.

'I guess they couldn't wait until the end of the exams to solve their problems' He kissed his teeth in annoyance. It was always people like them that ruin everything fun. With the two originals out the picture, they were slightly outnumbered. He needed to take out the clones as soon as possible. Now normally that wouldn't have been a problem. Considering his skills compared to that of Anita or Siper, he was sure he would come out victorious. The problem was the clone standing before him. If only he could…

Killua's thoughts trailed off as his mind came up with a possible solution. He didn't need to eliminate his clone. The only thing he needed to do was ditch it for a spit second which should be more than enough to dispatch one the additional clones. With that thought in mind, Killua executed his plan by jumping towards his clone. One thing he had noticed about his clone was the lack of fatal attacks on their end. It was as if they were programmed to use everything but lethal attacks which was most likely the case. Had Naruto allowed the copies to use lethal attacks, some of the examinees would have died like Anita and Siper for instance.

His clone reacted with a brutal kick, something Killua allowed for the sake of his plan. He winced slightly as his body flew towards Gon's direction. As he neared his destination, Killua turned his body midflight and thrust his hand through the chest of the nearest clone which was Anita's. Without missing a step, he turned towards the other clone to dispatch it. Siper's clone dissolved instantly as Killua's clawed hand pierced its chest. With the two additional clones down, Killua went for Gon's clone but it seemed that Kurapika had already beaten him to it.

Before Killua or Kurapika had a chance to comment on what just happened, their clones reengaged them once more. Gon quickly jumped to Killua's side to assist him in his battle just as he had done for him. Killua's clone didn't stand a chance against the duo. As Gon occupied it with close combat, Killua assassinated him immediately. With the clone dispatched, both Gon and Killua struck Kurapika's copy from behind dispelling it immediately then repeated the same action for Leorio whom had grown frustrated at his lack of triumph.

Leorio released a sigh of relief as soon as his clone vanished. Who would have imagined that fighting yourself was such a pain? But on the side note, he did learn a bit about himself as well as ways that could help him improve. "Thanks guys, that was a real pain in the ass. How did you beat your clones?" These clones were created to match the strength and weakness of each contender. He was curious as to how they triumphed over them.

"Kurapika defeated my clone and I helped Killua defeat his" was Gon's honest reply as he grinned cheerfully. He was glad they intervened because getting assaulted by three contenders wasn't fun at all.

"Well Naruto did say it was a group effort" responded Kurapika "And we did exactly that. Now we just have to survive until the others succeed or assist them."

"I don't think that'll be necessary." Killua pointed towards Hanzo and a group of contenders charged towards the other clones.

Hanzo having witnessed everything that occurred after the fall of Siper and Anita repeated the same action as both Killua and Kurapika. He allowed his clone to score a direct blow which sent him towards the clone of another contender. Using his superior skills, Hanzo had quickly dispatched the contender's copy allowing the examinee to assist the others in battle.

From there, it was only a matter of time before the clones were dispatched one after another. After receiving assistance from someone else, the other examinees were more than happy to help others. Besides, this was a group test after all.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

As soon as the last of the clones vanished, so did the barriers that contained everyone. Naruto glanced around taking note to everyone that passed. With the exception of Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and Leorio, only 6 contestants had passed the exams. His attention shifted to the two female contenders being carried away. Whatever happened between those two had to be big if they were willing to throw away their chances to become hunters. Oh well, there was always next year if they don't kill each other that is.

"Congratulations on passing the 287th hunter exams." Netero stepped forward as he stroked his beard. He was pleased with the results of the exams as a whole. This year's batch was truly an exceptional to have passed the exam with the number they had now. "You will all receive your hunter license during your briefing which will take place 30 minutes from now. That is where we'll inform you of everything that comes with a hunter license and the various paths available to you. Once that briefing is over, you are all free to do as you please."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Alright, that just about wraps things up for the exams. It took me a bit longer to write it because of the amount of times I deleted and rewrote large sections. Then there are other things I had to deal with. Anyway, now I can move to the next arc. The Zoldyck family


	13. Chapter 13

_Kukuroo Mountain_

 _A 3,722 meter mountain located in_ _Dentora Region of the_ _Republic of Padokea_

"And your entire family owns the entire mountain and the forest surrounding it?" Naruto released a low whistle. Talk about a great deal of land. With that much amount of space, he could perform all sorts of fuinjutsu experiments without worrying about the general population. Not only that, but he could turn the entire forest into a training ground or set experimental traps throughout the area to keep out unwanted guests. Various ideas filtered throughout his mind prompting him to stare off in a state of daze.

"It's not all that exciting though. There's hardly anyone there to play with and all of the butlers are pretty boring." Killua didn't have too many good memories of his home which was one of the reasons he left other than a change of career. Looking back now and his current position, he was glad he made that decision. Had he remained at the family estate, he wouldn't have met amazing people like Gon, Naruto, Kurapika, and Leorio.

"How long will it take to travel?" Leorio slowly made his way towards the others, an action that caught the attention of the others. He was moving a lot slower than usual. It was as if he was being dragged down by unknown forces.

"Did you increase your level already?" asked a curious Gon as he eyed Leorio's fuinjutsu vest before turning his attention towards his own. It was a black weighted vest without the weights that is with various seals placed throughout it. Gon didn't know all the mechanics behind each seal but one thing he did know was that this vest would help them grow stronger with time. Even Naruto wore one of the vests as a testament that they will do as he promised. Of course considering the feats he performed with fuinjutsu during the exams, none of them had doubted him in the first place.

Leorio wiped the light layer of sweat from his forehead. "I did increase it a bit. My body had grown accustomed to the previous level so I stepped things up a bit." He felt his chest swell with pride at this small feat. If he kept things up, he would surely get stronger. He just had to keep pushing his limits while making sure he didn't overwork himself.

"If we take an airship, it'll take us 3 days to reach our destination" answered Kurapika as he turned to face Leorio. "Did you apply for medical school yet?" Leorio grinned widely as he responded.

"Of course I did. That was my whole purpose for joining the hunter exams. There was no way I would have been able to afford the tuition but with the hunter license, I could attend for free. The only thing I need to do is figure out how to balance both medical and fuinjutsu studies. I'm thinking about attending online studies so that I can follow Naruto for my fuinjutsu lessons." Kurapika nodded his head at this. It seemed like a logical choice to make in his current situation. Now he needed to figure out how to pursue his goals and continue his fuinjutsu lessons. There was so much he still needed to learn and staying with Naruto was the best way to gain knowledge.

"There's no need for that Leorio" interjected Naruto. He proceeded to summon various crystal necklaces similar to the one he received from his baachan Tsunade in terms of appearances. He quickly tossed each necklace to each one of his friend as he explained its functions. "These are teleportation markers. With the usage of my shadow clones jutsu, I could be in several places at once which means I can continue teaching both of you fuinjutsu even if we were to separate from one another. After all, my clones know everything I do." Both Leorio and Kurapika grinned at that piece of information. That meant they were able to pursuit their goals without any restrictions.

Killua tilted his head in confusion. "Shadow clone jutsu?"

Naruto blinked owlishly as Killua's question fully registered. It was in that moment that he realized his slipup.

"I thought you weren't able to do jutsu" Kurapika thought back to the various conversations he had with the elder blonde. He was sure Naruto mentioned something about losing a great deal of power, chakra and his collection of jutsu being a great bulk of it.

"Sorry, that was a mistake on my part. What I meant to say was shadow clone nen. I'm creating nen versions of my past techniques. So far I managed to recreate the shadow clone, chakra cloak, and most importantly this." He held his hand out and channeled aura into his palm. Within seconds, a familiar orb appeared inside his hand along with the sound he had grown accustomed to. The others watched the swirling orb in fascination. It was one of the most beautiful things they had witnessed. Gon slowly reached out to touch it but failed to do so as Naruto released the technique immediately to prevent harm.

"I wouldn't recommend doing that again unless you want to lose your fingers that is." Gon quickly withdrew his fingers immediately despite the fact that the ball was no longer there. To think something so beautiful could be so dangerous. "I also managed to recreate both the substitution jutsu and the substitution seal. I'm still trying to recreate my special henge jutsu so that I can regain my entire collection of sexy ninjutsu."

Not a single word was said as the group try to process everything Naruto just said.

Substitution

Special henge

Sexy ninjutsu

Naruto chuckled nervously when he remembered that none of them knew what he was talking about. He needed to give them a demonstration and that's what he did. Without any warning or hand seals, he used a substitution on Gon successfully swapping places with him. Before Gon could comment on what just happened, he found himself back in his original position as if he hadn't moved at all.

"That is the substitution technique. It could be used on just about any living creature and inanimate objects. I'm not sure what the limits are right now with the different source of energy but I'm sure I'll discover it with time. The substitution seal is just a seal based version of the technique. I would apply seals on a person's body to allow them to use the substitution technique without actually learning it. Now as for the shadow-" That was as far as he got as Gon and Killua appeared before him in seconds sporting wide puppy dog eyes or in Killua's case cat eyes.

"Can we have one?"

"Wait, you can place something other than storage seals on your body?" The implications behind that opened many doors for Kurapika.

A barrier seal on his palm to block attacks

Teleportation seals on his body to evade attacks

Various ideas ran through his mind as to what he could potentially use based on his sealing knowledge so far. And it wasn't just Kurapika that was thinking that way. Leorio was also brainstorming ideas on what he could apply to his body.

"Alright, I just need the two of you to remove your top. After that, I will apply the seal to the right side of your chest. Also just to give you a heads up, the only way that this seal can be removed or adjusted is by another seal specialist aka me or at least for now. With the rate Leorio and Kurapika are going, it won't be long before they become seal specialist."

Gon and Kurapika removed the top half of their clothes allowing Naruto to access their chest area. Two copies appeared in a puff of smoke surprising the group once more. Considering what he was saying earlier, this must be the shadow clone nen he mentioned.

"That was the shadow clone I was talking about by the way. As for your question Kurapika, you can place any seals on your body. The only reason why I haven't done so is because I didn't need anything beyond storage clones at the time." The only thing that crossed his mind during his time in the Dark Continent was survival and gathering materials for survival and possible future usage.

Kurapika allowed a grin to appear on his face as he refaced the computer monitor to finish up his task which was buying air tickets to Kukuroo Mountain. The process took approximately 5 minutes to process everything. As soon as everything was set, he turned back around to inform the group.

"Alright, we're all set to go. The next flight leaves within the next 3 hours so we have plenty of time to reach-" He trailed off as he witnessed what could only be described as a human shuffle. In the span of milliseconds, Gon, Killua, and Naruto were rapidly swapping with one another without moving any part of their bodies. It was as if it was done telepathically. Gon and Killua were having a blast if the amount of laugher they were producing was anything to go by. Naruto also appeared to be having a good time. He was grinning as he engaged the boys in a swapping contest.

"Hey Gon, check this out." Instead of swapping with Gon's position, Naruto focused his attention on something else. Gon blinked in confusion when he remained in the same position. That confusion only further increased when Killua, Leorio, and Kurapika broke out laughing. Was there something on him? It was in that moment that he noticed something off about himself, more specifically his feet. He glanced down to find that not only was his clothes different, but his footwear as well. They looked awfully similar to the clothes Naruto was wearing. He glanced up to find Naruto wearing both his clothes and his boots while whistling innocently.

"Hey, how did you get my clothes?" The others erupted into laughter at Gon's response. To spare the boy further embarrassment, Naruto swapped clothes with Gon immediately but Gon had other plans.

"Damn it Gon, give it back." Using the principles of the substitution and what he learned from Naruto's actions, Gon had managed to swap his own gear with Killua. Killua gawked at what took place then proceeded to chase Gon around in circles. Naruto stared at the scene in amazement. Gon was truly a fast learner. While he wasn't good in terms of book smarts, he was definitely a hands-on learner.

After chasing Gon around for a few seconds and failed, Killua decided to try a different approach. In a spit second, Gon found himself tripping over his own feet. The reason for Gon's trip stemmed from the fact that Killua had somehow managed to return Gon's clothes back to him backwards.

"Killua"

Through clumsy movement, Gon had somewhat managed to chase Killua around despite his clothes being on backwards. When he realized that he wouldn't catch him, Gon surrendered and proceeded to fix his clothes. It was in this moment that his stomach grumbled. Gon scratched the back of his head and grinned sheepishly.

"I'm a bit hungry"

Several stomachs grumbled in agreement as in agreement. "Well it's a good thing I thought ahead." Before anyone could ask what Naruto meant, he summoned various trays of sushi his clone secretly prepared during orientation. As soon as the others saw what he brought out, they swarmed it immediately like moth to a flame. As each tray were wiped clean, Naruto would unseal various more and reseal the empty ones. As their feeding pace slowed considerably, he stopped producing more. Plus he was running low. He made a mental note to restock when he had the chance too.

"Are you always prepared for everything?" Kurapika had yet to see Naruto unprepared for anything. Naruto slowly shook his head as he answered.

"I try to prepare for everything but there are a lot of times when I find myself in unexpected circumstances like my death for instance. I didn't think I would die just to wake up in one of the most dangerous area in a completely different world. When things like that happen, I just plan things as I go along, something I'm actually good at. One of the smartest strategist and one of my best friends once complimented me on my on the fly thinking ability. He also told me I was too unpredictable for him to understand." Naruto's thoughts drifted back to a certain Nara before his passing.

"Alright I'm all full now." Gon pat his stomach in content. "I'm ready to go now." Naruto quickly sealed away the remaining trays and signaled to the others that he was ready as well. Kurapika pulled out a cell phone then prepared to call a cab when Naruto stopped him.

"Actually, I think this is the perfect opportunity for a light jog." Naruto grinned evilly as he continued. "And to make things a bit more interesting, we'll all raise our vests one level higher with the exception of Leorio since he's already done so." He reached his left hand over to his right side of the vest and applied aura to the increase function seal. The effects were instantaneous as the additional weight settled upon his entire body, an effect caused by the gravity seals. Gon and the others followed Naruto actions adding a moderate amount of weight onto their bodies.

Satisfied with the turn of events, Naruto turned towards the direction of the airship and began jogging with the others in tow.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

'Well it's a good thing we decided to jog' thought Kurapika as he passed one of the worse traffic jams he's ever witnessed. Had they caught a cab as he originally planned, they would have been in traffic along with everyone else. He glanced ahead at the trio as they once again engaged in a game of substitution. Every time one of them took the lead, the other two would substitute with that person in order to gain a lead even if only temporarily.

"How are those guys so active with those vests?" Leorio wiped his forehead as he maintained his current speed. This was definitely more intense than the first part of the exam but unlike the first time, he was doing a lot better. It was as if the normal man was becoming a beast like the others. Just that thought alone made him smile a bit. He was getting stronger and it was definitely showing. If he kept this up, he would definitely become someone extraordinary.

"I'm not sure of that myself." Kurapika could only shake his head at the energetic trio. He idly began to wonder if they would be able to keep this pace up the entire way. There was only one way to find out. Without another word, Kurapika continued jogging at a steady pace alongside with Leorio.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Okaa-san, Killua is on his way home and he brought guests with him." After his short encounter with Naruto, Illumi had stayed around to see where Killua would go after the exam and more specifically, whether or not Naruto would join him. Had Naruto separated from Killua, he would have convinced him to return home though the method in which he would have used was unknown. Still, with Killua heading home on his own, he no longer had to do anything else. Of course with Naruto's presence, he wasn't sure what would happen.

"Is that young boy you informed me about with him?" Kikyo didn't see or know much about the boy Illumi informed her of. He had told her that he was definitely one of the strongest nen users currently alive. He also told her that he wasn't aware of his full capabilities but he did provide her with a small list of things he was capable of. Kikyo was a bit wary of the young boy due to several reasons. The first reason stemmed from Illumi's caution for him. The second reason stemmed from his nonexistent background. She had done a bit of research on the boy using the description and name provided to her by her son. When she couldn't find anything, she used her connections to find out about this boy.

Naruto Uzumaki was either a fake name created by someone else for one reason or another or he was born in a place like Meteor City in which personal or an official record of a person was nonexistent. She was inclined to believe the second choice but even if that was the case, how did someone as powerful as him manage to fly under the radar like that. This was something she was very concerned about considering the fact that her son was hanging around said individual.

"Should I be concerned about him?" Illumi paused for a brief moment as he thought back to the young blonde.

"No, I don't believe he's someone you should be too wary about." He couldn't imagine Naruto doing anything harmful to his family especially given the fact that he was friends with Killua. Kikyo sighed in relief.

"That's wonderful news Illumi. The last thing we need was more bad news." Illumi's eyebrow rose at that last statement. What did she mean by more bad news? Did he miss something back at home? What exactly happened after he left to find Killua?

"That's right; you weren't here when it happened. Actually, it happened as soon as you left to find Killua. A giant fox with nine tails breeched our walls and made the forest its home. Mike tried to stand up to the colossus creature but it was too much for him to handle. We were fortunate enough that the fox had no intention to kill otherwise poor Mike would have been 6 feet under. The fox had yet to make any moves against the family but we issued a warning to everyone living within the vicinity just in case. My husband believes that if we leave the fox in peace, we'll be okay but I'm still a bit worried."

Illumi froze for a brief moment as his mind processed everything he just learned. "I will come home as soon as I can." As soon as he finished that statement, he ended the call.


	14. Chapter 14

"I've never seen any wall as imposing as this one. Not even the walls of one of our most secured prison was this intimidating." Naruto's thoughts drifted back to his time in the Hozuki Castle, an action that prompted a cold shiver to travel down his spine. That was one of the most unpleasant moments of his life. Prison was definitely not a nice place to be in. Naruto glanced over at Killua whom was sporting a bored facial expression with a hint of annoyance. It would seem that this place defiantly wasn't his favorite though that was reasonable based on what he was informed. "I don't suppose you have some type of giant fire breathing dragon waiting on the other side for the next unfortunate person do you?"

Given the size and thickness of the wall, it wouldn't surprise him if that was the case. Plus after his trip from the Dark Continent, the existence of a fire breathing dragon didn't seem unrealistic. There were many types of creatures he encountered there that he never existed in his own world. It was a refreshing experience for him who had ventured his world several times.

Killua shook his head then perked up slightly when he remembered what lied beyond the wall. "We don't have a dragon but we do have an enormous guard dog roaming the forest area. His name is Mike." Naruto's eyebrow rose slightly at the dog's name. Mike didn't sound like a vicious killer. Mike actually sounds like a family dog that got along with just about anyone. He was sure that a family of assassins wouldn't keep a dog like that for guard purposes unless they wanted to let their enemy drop their guard. With a name like Mike, they probably wouldn't expect much.

"Well, where do we go from here? The faster we wrap things up here means the faster we could get away from here." Naruto was sure Killua didn't want to be around here for too long so his plan was to get in and out as quickly as possible. As to what he would do next, he wasn't exactly sure at the moment. Maybe he could explore the known areas and get familiar with the inner workings of this world.

If he was going to live in this world, he needed information on all the superpowers aka all the rich and influential individuals. He also needed to find out who or what group Kurapika was after so that he could make some sort of plan in the event that things went south. One thing he had learned from Sasuke's quest for revenge was just how much an avenger was willing to sacrifice for the sake of their ambition. As his sensei and close friend, he would ensure that Kurapika survived no matter what decision he made even if he had to get his hands dirty again. He also needed to make sure the others would remain out of harm. Knowing Leorio and the others, they would no doubt get involved with Kurapika's mess for the sake of helping a friend. They were definitely not the type of people to turn their back on a friend in need. Those were the type of friends worth keeping.

"In order to reach the family estate, we'll simply pass the testing gate." Killua pointed over to the large unique doors positioned between the twin dragons statues perched on top of the imposing walls. "All you have to do is push as hard as you can and the doors will open." Of course Killua didn't mention that each door had a certain weight to it but in doing so would ruin in the surprise. Besides, he was curious to see how many doors Naruto would open. Given what he'd seen so far, Naruto had to be strong enough to open at least the 5th or 6th door.

Killua slowly led the group towards the testing gates, anticipation increasing with each step. In the next minute or so, he would see just how strong each of his friends was and his current strength. He wanted to know how much he had improved since his leaving. As he approached the doors, he noticed a slight movement out of his peripheral vision. He turned his head to see who it was and was greeted to an unusual sight. In his usual place was Zebro, one of his family's groundskeeper. But there wasn't anything unusual about Zebro standing near the gates. No, it was the sight of his coworker Seaquant, Canary, and several other butlers standing next to Zebro's post. Seaquant and Zebro usually take turns standing gate duty but they don't stand it at the same time. Canary on the other hand was usually stationed inside in the event that unwanted guests managed to bypass the testing gate, something that has occurred in the past. Her job was to keep them out by any means necessary. The other butlers were usually doing something else inside the family estate or the butler's estate.

"Killua-sama, wait"

Killua stopped immediately as soon as he heard the urgency in Zebro's tone. Considering the sheer amount of people stationed outside the gate and the urgency in Zebro's voice, something must have happened. Zebro quickly dashed over to Killua in record time. As soon as Zebro was close enough, Killua asked the first question on his mind.

"What's going on?" Zebro paused as he tried to figure out a way in which he would explain the situation without causing confusion.

"Well, we have a bit of a fox situation at hand." Killua stared at him in confusion which prompted him to mentally kick himself. He had done exactly what he wanted to avoid but that was irrelevant right now. After a mentally kicking himself, he elaborated on what he meant. "After you and Illumi left the estate, a giant fox entered the walls and made the forest its home. Your family has issued an-"

"I don't suppose that fox had red-orange fur and nine long tails did it?" What are the chances the Kurama ended up in this world as well? Naruto thought back to the last time he saw his old friend. It was right before the dimension collapse. As the Otsutsuki members thinned out, Naruto had ordered Kurama to escape along with both Sasuke and Orochimaru. He had known that the death of a specific Otsutsuki member would have caused the dimension to collapse thus killing everyone within it. He had managed to locate who the owner of the dimension was and had planned to kill him. In doing so, the dimension would collapse and everyone including himself would die. It was a sacrifice he was willing to make for the sake of his friends and his world. With the clan gone, the world would no longer have to worry about future invasions. And it wasn't just his world that would have benefited from the clan's destruction.

After discovering what the clan has been doing for centuries, the current village leaders at the time had decided that the clan simply had to go. A clan capable of wiping out entire planets for the sake of extending their life spans was not a clan they wanted around. They would keep coming to earth for the sole purpose of cultivating it. In order to combat the problem, they turned to the only people capable of dealing with the problem and the rest was history.

"How did you know?" questioned Zebro. The fox's appearance within Kukuroo Mountain wasn't exactly common knowledge. In fact, no one knew about the giant fox except those living in the area which narrows down to the Zoldyck family and their workers. How did this stranger know about it?

Naruto didn't know whether or not he should be excited or annoyed. On one hand, he was happy that he could see one of his best friends again. They would be able to explore the new world and he could introduce the fox to his new friends. On the other hand he was annoyed that Kurama didn't listen to him when he ordered him to retreat and he died as a result. The whole purpose behind his order was to ensure Kurama's survival. He wanted the fox to enjoy his freedom after spending a great deal of time trapped in three different hosts back to back.

Wait, did that mean that Orochimaru and Sasuke were here as well? Naruto's face morphed into a scowl at that thought. Given Sasuke's stubborn personality it wouldn't be a surprise if he did end up here. Sasuke was never one to listen especially in cases concerning him and his family. Sasuke had become something of an overprotective older brother despite the fact that he was only older than him by a few months. If Sasuke was here, then Orochimaru was most likely here as well. He was probably curious about Sasuke's actions. He could already feel a headache coming on.

"Naruto?" Killua poked the elder blonde in his forehead bringing him back to the world of the living. "Are you okay? You kind of zoned out there."

"Yeah I was just deep in thought." Naruto turned his attention to Zebro who had yet to take his eye off of him. "Take me to the fox." He needed to see the fox in person to verify whether or not it truly was Kurama though based on the man's reaction of the description he provided, it couldn't have possibly been anyone else.

"I don't suppose that fox is a friend of yours?" asked Kurapika as he glanced between his sensei and Zebro. It wouldn't surprise him if the fox was truly a friend of his given his bizarre background. Naruto turned towards Kurapika and smiled.

"Possibly but I need to see him in person to verify it." Zebro paused as his mind processed the new information he received and along with options on how he should proceed from here. He mentally went over the facts at hand. The boy standing before him was a possible friend of the giant fox that dwelled in the forest. He was an unknown to him and the Zoldyck family. He had no idea as to why he was traveling with master Killua or his intentions. But Killua didn't appear to be in any type of distress. In fact, he seemed completely at ease around them. Maybe he was simply overthinking things. If Killua trusted them then he should at least give them a chance. Plus the young boy didn't seem to radiate any dark intentions. He had met a quite number of individuals whom wished to harm the family so he had some experience in rooting out potential enemies or so he would like to believe. Well, if anything the family was more than capable of taking out any threats towards them. It's not like they were helpless. But that didn't change the fact that he would still be held responsible for letting them in.

"Zebro?" Zebro blinked as he returned to reality. He turned towards Killua whom was staring at him with a puzzled look. "Is that an old person thing? I mean first Naruto did that then you. Will I zone out a lot when I get older?" Zebro chuckled a bit in embarrassment before answering.

"I don't think so; I was just in deep thought. Anyway, I will gladly show you the fox's location Mr….." There was no point in dwelling on the situation. He would take any consequence that should befall on him.

"Naruto Uzumaki" Naruto struck his hand out and Zebro grabbed it immediately then shook it a few times.

"Well Naruto, my name is Zebro and just out of curiosity what are your names?" he turned towards the others which prompted them to introduce themselves.

"Gon"

"Kurapika"

"Leorio"

Zebro nodded his head in acceptance then released Naruto's hand as soon as he realized he was still holding it. That wasn't awkward at all. "Alright everyone, follow me and I'll lead you there. But first things first" He turned towards the other butlers and motioned them to follow. The others quickly made their way towards him. "As per your family's instruction Killua-sama, we must accompany you within the walls until the fox issue has been resolved or until we're 100% sure he won't bother us at all." No one commented on the additional guard. For Naruto and the others, they were guests. For Killua, he simply didn't care.

As soon as he reached the gates, Zebro went to remove his jacket when Killua stopped him. "Zebro, could you let Naruto handle this one?" He glanced over at the elder blonde in anticipation. While he wasn't going to be able to see the results of all his friends, he still wanted to see what Naruto was capable of. Zebro glanced at the young boy for a brief second then complied with Killua's request. It would seem that Killua was interested in his friend's strength. Actually this worked in his favor. Maybe this would give him an idea as to why Killua chose this group of all people to be his friends. Maybe it had something to do with their strength.

Naruto passed Zebro as he focused his attention on the twin intimidating doors. Killua's words echoed through his mind as he neared his destination. All he had to do was push as hard as he could and the doors would open. Given the door's appearance, he was able to deduce that it probably had some weight to it. Killua was probably curious as to whether or not he could open it. 'Well, if it's a show he wants, it's a show he'll get.'

Naruto soon found himself face to face with the testing gates. He glanced back at his small audience for a split second then to his task at hand. Now it was time to put on a show. He shifted his feet apart and lowered his body slightly taking on a perfect sumo wrestlers pose. He drew his arms backwards as he gathered aura into both arms. Once he was sure he had gathered a suffix amount of power, he threw his arms forward as quickly as he could. The entire group flinched as the two doors swung open with a great deal of force. The sound generated form the impact could be heard several miles from the location. The hinges creaked under pressure, a testament to the amount of force exerted upon it.

Killua's eyes twinkled in delight. This was even better than he imagined. He had managed to open all 7 doors with such ease. Naruto was truly awesome. Not only was he super-fast, but he was incredible strong. Zebro stood with his mouth wide open. This young boy just pushed 256 tons as if it was nothing whereas he struggled to open the first gate. It would seem that Killua had managed to make a powerful friend. He glanced over to the others standing passively off to the side.

'I wonder if they're just as strong as him.' They didn't react to Naruto's action which led him to believe that they were all capable of the same feat. But that wasn't the case. The reason why they didn't react to Naruto's performance stemmed from the fact that they were unaware of the details surrounding the testing gates. Had they known about the weight behind each door, they too would have been surprised. With the testing gates wide open, Naruto was met with a surprising scene.

"Kurama, is that really you?" It was a small red-orange small fox with a single swishing tail. He was standing several feet away from the gates as if expecting him. Naruto entered the area as the gates slowly closed. The entire group filed in quickly before they were closed out. They seemed interested in the interaction between Naruto and the fox.

" **I do not know this Kurama fella you're looking for. I am Hagoromo, the god of gifts and of course it's me brat. What kind of question is that?"** A small sweat drop rolled down Naruto's forehead. It would seem that Kurama was still as sarcasm as ever. It was in this moment that the fox's words fully registered.

"What do you mean what kind of question is that? You're about the size of Akamaru when he was a puppy and you only have a single tail so excuse me for asking." As soon as he finished that statement, Kurama began to glow. In the span of seconds, he began to increase in size and several tails emerged until there were nine in total. As soon as he reached his true height, Kurama fanned out his tails and struck a pose Naruto had grown familiar with. It was his pose of greatness as he dubbed it. He allowed his aura to bathe over the entire area for additional effect.

" **Are you happy now brat?"** Naruto nodded his head in acceptance. This was definitely the Kurama he remembered. It looks like somethings never change.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"That is definitely one huge fox" Gon stared at the large beast with wide eyes. Never in his life had he saw a creature so magnificent. But it wasn't just his size that was enormous. His presence was blanketing the entire area. He felt very insignificant in its presence. It was like standing near the sun itself. A bead of sweat traveled down his cheek. While there wasn't any animosity coming from the beast, its presence was insanely powerful.

Kurapika's eyes scanned every detail of the giant behemoth. He had never read anything about a creature like this before and he had read many books before his departure from the Lukso Province, a place his clan once resides before their ultimate demise. He glanced over to his teacher as his animatedly spoke to the fox. He could clearly see the bond between the two of them. They had definitely been through some things together to generate such a bond. Still, to think his teacher knew such a powerful creature baffled him. The amount of power radiating from it had caused the hair on his body to stand. Another thing that baffled him was that he had only sensed the creature when he flared his aura. How did something so powerful manage to hide its presence so effectively?

Kurapika wasn't the only one thinking that. Killua stared at the creature in mild shock. Well that explained the added security measures. A creature like this would definitely cause panic or concerns. It was huge and its power levels were off the chart. He could only imagine his family's response to the creature. Knowing them, they probably kept their distance and observed it for information. He couldn't see them attacking it unless there was a logical reason.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"So what exactly are you doing here? I doubt you came here to terrorize these people." Naruto glanced back at Zebro before returning his attention to his companion. "Also could you tone your power down a bit? Not everyone's use to your power level." Kurama immediately hid his aura signature then receded back to his smallest size.

" **Let's see"** Kurama thought back to the events that took place before his arrival at the Zoldyck estate though he was unaware of whom it actually belonged to. The only thing he knew was that this was a private property and it was quite. **"After we ran into your teleportation marker, we deduced that you were in this world. I wanted to seek you out immediately before we make any decision as to what we would do next. Orochimaru and Sasuke on the other hand wanted to gather Intel and establish themselves here which led to our separation. As to where those two are, I'm not sure at the moment. Knowing them, they'll most likely drum up some problems down the line.** " Naruto nodded his head in acceptance. He had just confirmed his theory about their presence here. Now the only thing left to do was locate them thought that would take some time. Sasuke and Orochimaru were definitely extremely hard to find when they didn't want to be found.

" **Using a few things I learned from the forest of nuisance, I managed to sneak around the populated area without detection. But eventually I grew tired and settled here in this nice quite area. With the exception of the mutt that attacked me, no one else bothered me. Anyway, I theorized that since you had some of my chakra flowing within your body before the whole world jump and energy conversion, you should theoretically have some of the same energy I possess now. If that was the case then I would have been able to detect you whenever you were close. That way I'm not searching an entire world for you. But it would seem that I was partially right. Instead of some, your energy signature is an exact replica of the new energy I possess now. It was easy for me to pick up your signature right away."** Naruto blinked in surprise then focused on Kurama's aura. It was just as the fox said. His energy was an exact replica of the fox's own aura. It would seem that Kurama had a major effect on his resurrection. Kurama's eyes trailed over to the group of people standing behind his former host.

" **What's with the group of people?"** Naruto turned back to the group for a brief second before returning his attention to the fox.

"The ones standing closer to me are my new friends. I met them during an exam to become a hunter. The ones standing behind them work for the Zoldyck family which owns this property you decided to sleep in. The dog you defeated was their guard dog. The reason I'm here is to talk to my friend's family about his career choice. It's the young white haired kid if you're curious as to who I'm talking about." Kurama glanced over at Killua's direction. Upon feeling the fox's gaze, Killua waved cheerfully. Kurama's eyes scanned the others standing next to Killua taking note to each of their features.

" **You have an avenger in your group."** This wasn't even a question. He could feel the hatred within his heart. This boy was just like Sasuke before his departure from Konoha. **"You've made some interesting friends. That black haired kid reminds of you when you were an annoying little brat. How annoying."** Naruto chuckled as Kurama rolled his eyes. It would seem that he brought back some old memories of their first meeting with one another.

"Anyway, I want you to meet my new friends."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

School's been a bit hectic so I haven't had much time to work on this. I haven't abandoned it though.


	15. Chapter 15

"So, I'm guessing that's your family ahead." Naruto stared at the small group of people standing outside what he considered a miniature fortress. He could also sense their energy from his current position. Considering the lack of dark intentions, they were probably here out of curiosity. Naruto glanced back to Zebro for a brief second before returning his attention to the small group. Zebro probably told them about the fox being within their group and they were probably curious not that he could blame them. The fox did kind of appear out of nowhere and took control of a large proportion of their property. Then there was the smackdown it laid on the guard dog.

"That's them alright" replied Killua. "There's my younger brother Kalluto and my two older brothers Illumi and Milluki standing in the front. My Otosan Silva is standing to the right of them and my okasan Kikyo is standing to the left. Standing next to my father are my grandfather Zeno and great-grandfather Maha. The only ones missing is my great-grand uncle Zigg, my grandmother, and my younger sister Alluka." Killua's tone underwent a sad one, something Naruto picked up right away. It would seem that there was something going on and his sister may be the main point of it. He made a mental note to talk ask about it but for now he had an objective he had to accomplish first.

"I'm guessing the individuals scattered across the rooftop and in the shadows are the servants of the family." Naruto's eyes darted around taking in the position of each additional person. While they weren't radiating any ill will, they were radiating various levels of anxiety. It was as if they were expecting something big to go down.

As Naruto approached the Zoldyck family, he was able to get a better view of each family's face. His eyes instantly locked onto Illumi's own who stared at him impassively. It would seem that their last encounter didn't create any resentment within him which was a good thing. That would have surely made things awkward between them. His eyes quickly locked onto the figure whom Killua had introduced as his father. This would be the man he would have to speak to first about Killua's decision to become something other than an assassin. Naruto came to a complete stop as soon as he was standing in front of the Zoldyck family, something that prompted the others to do.

He proceeded to bow his head to greet the family then introduced himself. "Good morning everyone, my name is Naruto Uzumaki." Silva stepped forward to greet the older man. One look was all it took for him to know that despite his young appearance, he was a lot older. His eyes spoke volumes of wisdom and power. He discreetly glanced in the direction of the small fox that had taken over his yard. Said fox had locked eyes with him as if gauging him. It would seem that this fox had a great deal of intelligence and that it wasn't a mindless beast. With that in mind, there had to a reason behind its presence here. Was it connected to the reason why this man was here as well? There was only one way to find out.

"Good morning Naruto-san, my name is Silva Zoldyck. The people standing behind me as you've already deduced are my family. What brings you and you're fox companion to my humble abode?" Naruto nodded his head in acceptance. It would seem that he was not one to beat around the bushes which was a good thing. He didn't like dancing around the subject. That wasn't his kind of thing to do.

"I'm here in regards to Killua and his career choice. To make thing short, Killua wishes to pursue something outside of the assassination field." Silva glanced over to his son whom flinched slightly as if expecting some type of negative then back to Naruto.

"Very well" As soon as those words left his mouth, Kikyo opened up her mouth to retort but stopped when her husband held his hand up. "Whatever path Killua decides is up to him. If he decided that the path of an assassin isn't for him then as his father, I will support his decision." Naruto blinked owlishly at this. He had expected some sort of resistance in a matter like this. Even Killua was a bit surprised about the turn of events. He'd never imagine his father supporting a decision like this. This was one of the reasons why he wanted to avoid coming here.

"Was there something else you wished to discuss?" Silva had noted that he had yet to mention anything about the fox hence the reason why he pressed on. What was the reason behind the fox's appearance here?

Naruto shook his head at this before responding. "That was actually the only reason why I came here. But since I'm here, I would like to formally apologize about my friend's intrusion. He saw your family estate as a nice quite place to relax thus the reason he entered this area. Actually, that was the only reason why he entered this area." He chuckled a bit as he finished that statement.

Silva's eyebrow rose slightly behind that declaration. The fox was here because it found his estate suitable for a nice quite relaxation? That was not something he was expecting but he couldn't find any traces of deceit in Naruto's voice. It also explained the fox's lack of aggression minus the attack on Mike though Mike was the one to initiate it. He had detected the fox's power earlier so he was fully aware of the damage it was capable of unleashing upon his entire family. There was an awkward pause between the two groups before someone decided to speak up.

"Since they've traveled all this way, why don't we invite them for dinner" suggested Illumi who kept his impassive look. "It's been a while since we've had guests over. Besides, I'm sure Naruto would love to retell his adventure of his journey inside the Dark Continent." As soon as he said those words, Maha's head perked up. It's been a while since he had heard of that place. To think he would encounter someone that not only traveled to that area and survive. Wait, did that meant that the V5 had lift the ban on expeditions placed on that area? He hadn't heard of anything like that before.

"How long ago was this?" Maha was sure that this took place some time ago. It couldn't have been recent otherwise he would have known about it unless it was done in secrecy. But there was no way something like this would have gone unnoticed. It was almost impossible to keep something like this hidden from everyone. Someone was bound to slip up. He was also sure that Netero would have informed him of something like this as well. Naruto paused for a brief as he mentally calculated the duration of the hunter exams then the time between his travel from said area.

"I'd say a little over two months ago."

Maha opened his mouth to speak but closed it as his mind processed what he just learned. After a few seconds of silence, he spoke once more. "I would love to hear about your adventures Naruto-san. Why don't you stay here and have dinner with us? I'm sure there's much we could learn from one another's story." This was the most interesting thing he's heard of in a while and that was saying a lot if you considered his age and experience.

"That depends on my companions." Naruto glanced back at said companions as he awaited their answer. They all came here on their own free will so it wouldn't be fair for him to make a decision for them all at this point.

"I don't mind staying here a bit" answered Kurapika. He wasn't in a rush to go anywhere at this moment. Besides, his entire goal required for him to grow stronger first. He needed to learn as much as he could from Naruto before he began making moves. He also needed to develop his nen type. Based on what he learned from Naruto on their way here, he only possessed basics requirements to learning Nen. There was still the advanced material he had to learn on top of discovering his nen. If he was going to avenge his clan, he needed as much power as he could. As soon as he was content with his overall skills, he would begin taking on jobs to gather information on his targets before eliminating them.

"I've got some time to spare" came Leorio's reply. He had some time before his class started. Plus, it was sort of fun being around these guys. There was never a dull moment with them around.

"I don't mind staying if Killua doesn't mind." Gon knew Killua wasn't a big fan of this place hence the reason why he didn't answer with yes. If Killua didn't want to stay here, then he would follow him.

Killua merely shrugged his shoulders before responding. "I'm okay with staying a bit." His initial response was to leave right away but after seeing his great grandfather so interested in Naruto, he decided against it. He had never seen him this interested in something or someone before or at least recently. For someone or something to do something like that was an achievement itself.

" **I don't mind staying here a little longer"** Kurama chuckled a bit after saying this. The Zoldyck family merely stared at the fox impassively. To think this was the same behemoth that took a hold over a proportion of their home.

Naruto returned his attention to the group ahead. "I guess my companions and I will stay for dinner if you don't mind that is." Silva merely waved his hand dismissively.

"We would love to have your company here tonight." Silva turned towards his servants and dismissed them with a single gesture. The servants quickly disbursed upon seeing this leaving Naruto's group and the Zoldyck's family alone.

"Are you going to cook as well Naruto?" Silva glanced at Killua upon hearing this. His eyebrow rose slightly when he was met with an unusual sight. Killua had stars in his eyes and there was the presence of drool leaking from his mouth. When had his son gotten so expressive? Just what happened between the time he left the family estate and now? There seemed to be a great change in him and he was curious as to what caused it.

Naruto scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. He should have saw this coming yet he didn't. But it wasn't as if cooking had bothered him. Cooking was a joy for him. It reminded him of the good times he spent with his wife Hinata before her passing. "That depends on whether or not your family allows it. I doubt they'll let just anyone into the kitchen." Silva's attention went back to his guest.

"I'm perfectly fine with it." If his son wanted his friend to cook, then who was he to deny such an action. "In fact, I'll personally show you our kitchen location so that you could familiarize yourself." Naruto nodded his head in acceptance. Silva then turned towards his oldest son Illumi. "Could you escort the guests to their temporary sleeping places while I show Naruto-san around?"

"Hai Otosan" was Illumi's curt reply. Illumi turned towards Kurapika and the others as he began his task at hand. "Please follow me"

Illumi silently led the small group of guests away from the family while Silva led Naruto towards the kitchen. Maha and Zeno trailed after Naruto for different reasons leaving Kikyo and her remaining children behind.

"I'm guessing this is where we part ways for now" Milluki quickly left after that statement which prompted the others to follow suite.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Man, talk about luxury" Leorio flopped onto the king-sized bed. He leaned up to allow himself a better view of what the others were doing. Kurapika surveyed the room carefully taking everything into detail before responding.

"I'll have to admit; this place does seem a bit pricey." Some of the stuff looked like ancient stuff his deceased clan would have owned which led him to believe that some of the stuff in this room belonged to ancient civilizations and royalty that passed away some time ago. Someone probably took those items and sold them to various rich people like the Zoldyck family for a small fortune.

"I've never seen anything this expensive before." Gon quickly moved about the room like a kid in a candy store. Like Kurapika, he was used to the simple things in life. He lived in a relatively small house, ate food Mito prepared, and lived a simple life. Even the island he lived on was simple compared to this place.

"It's pretty boring in here though" stated Killua as he released a small yawn. "Hardly anyone comes near this place because of the wild rumors surrounding this place and when someone does come here, it's usually with bad intentions. Mike and the other servants eliminate them which only adds to the rumors circulating about this place being the home of the shinigami."

Kurama merely scoffed at this statement, an action that earned him the attention of the others. **"The home of the shinigami would be a lot scarier than this. This place isn't even remotely close as to what it would have felt like to be in that thing's house if it even possesses a house."** Kurama shivered a bit as memories of his encounter with the shinigami resurfaced. That was not something he wanted to experience ever again.

"You sound as if you met the shinigami in person before" commented Kurapika.

" **Oh, I've met the shinigami alright"** started Kyuubi. **"It was right before…..."** Kurama trailed off as he thought about the events that took place on the day of Naruto's birth. **"That was definitely the worse experience I've ever had in my life."** Kurama's thoughts drifted back to the day Minato performed the sealing. He vividly remembered the ghastly figure as it plunged its hand into his body and ripped away half of his essence. For the next 16 years, he had to remain in two halves. His statement was met with confusion and interest but Kurama didn't elaborate much to their disappointment. It would seem that Kurama did not want to talk about such an experience. Silence quickly settled upon the group after that statement. But with people like Gon around, that silence did not remain for long.

"Kurama, how old are you" asked a curious Gon. He'd figured that if Naruto was close to 100 years old and Kurama was his friend, he should be around the same age too or that's what his logic was. The others tuned in immediately upon hearing this for different reasons of their own. Kurama paused for a brief moment as he mentally calculated his age starting with the earliest of his life being his creation at the hands of Hagoromo up to the epic battle against the parasitical Otsutsuki clan.

" **I'd say somewhere between 1,100 and 1,500 years old. I never bothered keeping track of time since I don't age. Why'd you want to know?"** Kurama glanced up to the others only to be met with a bizarre site. All of them were pale in color, a feature he believed only Orochimaru was able of. Kurapika stared at the fox as if it grew a second head. This fox was definitely ancient by his definition. This creature had definitely seen some things in his life time. Leorio chocked on his saliva at the revelation. To think he was in the same room as this ancient being shocked him to the core. Even Gon chocked on his own spit at this piece of information.

"Talk about old" commented Leorio after he managed to somewhat recover. Kurama smirked at the group's reaction. For some reason, their reaction amused him.

"You're way older than Naruto" said Gon as he regained his skin complexion. This prompted the fox to roll his eyes in response. Gon paused for a brief second as a thought occurred. "Does that mean you've known him since birth then?" A scowl quickly appeared on Kurama's face when he thought about Naruto as a young child. That was definitely another unpleasant moment of his life. Back in those days, Naruto was a loud mouth ramen addict with a short temper. Even his first meeting with him wasn't pleasant. His first meeting was him demanding that he pay chakra towards him for the sake of living in his body. It's not like he had chosen to seal himself. That was definitely his father's doing. If it wasn't for the fact that he was falling to his death, he would have simply ignored his request. But looking back then and looking at his current situation, maybe things weren't so bad back then. Despite the ups and downs the duo faced, they had prevailed over each obstacle and became best friends or even family. Being sealed away within Naruto was probably the worst and the greatest thing that happened to him. If it wasn't for that fateful moment of him being sealed, he would have never met Naruto.

"Kurama, could you tell us about Naruto's childhood?" Gon's innocent question brought Kurama back to reality. As soon as his mind registered what Gon had asked, a strange glint entered his eyes. Kurama allowed a sly grin to appear on his face as he thought about the non-depressing embarrassing stories he was going to reveal.

" **You want to know about his childhood do you?"** Kurapika shivered slightly at the tone the fox was using. It was as if whatever story he was about to reveal would no doubt be embarrassing. Even Leorio and Killua flinched inwardly as they picked up on tone. Gon on the other hand leaned forward in anticipation oblivious to fox's tone.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

A shiver ran down Naruto's spine which prompted him to look around quickly.

"Is everything okay Naruto?" Maha glanced at Naruto with a questioning look. Naruto quickly waved his had in a dismissive fashion.

"I'm ok but thank you for your concern. Anyway, I have a feast to prepare."


	16. Chapter 16

"Oh my, the food looks wonderful and it smells amazing." Kikyo's eyes swept across the table as various servants brought out food prepared by their guest which was weird to her considering he was their guest. Usually the host was the one to supply the meal but her husband insisted that Naruto cooked. Apparently Killua had requested such an action which was strange for her. The whole thing was simply too bizarre for her. The only thing she could do at this point is go with the flow. Every few seconds or so, she would take discreet glances at the fox sitting at the table holding a fork like a normal human being. Was this truly the same fox that invaded their home not too long ago? He wasn't even acting like a normal fox. He was waiting patiently like a normal person as the food was placed on the table.

Maha inhaled deeply then slowly exhaled catching the attention of his family members. A small smile spread across his cheek as he eyed a particular dish. "To think I would not only get to see it again, but actually taste it. This will be a wonderful experience."

Zeno followed Maha's line of sight to see what he was talking about. His eyes soon landed on what appeared to be a simple chocolate cake. It didn't look like anything special but when you've been in the assassination business for so long, you'll learn that not everything is as simple as they appear.

"What's so special about it?" questioned Milluki as he eyed the cake. "It doesn't look special at all and it isn't exactly all that big. I mean I've seen some big cakes before and this isn't even close in terms of size." Milluki had never seen Maha this interested in food before. In fact, he hadn't seen him this interested in anything before today.

Maha's smile widened as he turned towards his great-great grandson. "But how many of those cake was made from Nitro rice?" Zeno's head immediately turned towards Naruto's direction with a mild shocked look on his face.

"You used nitro rice in this cake?" He had heard about nitro rice from his grandfather and the horror stories revolving around it. The nitro rice was one of the most sought out ingredient due to its supposed ability to extend one's life. Of course, no one was able to confirm whether or not this was true due to the high mortality rate and lack of success in retrieving said ingredient. The reason for both stemmed from the sheer amount of Hellbell surrounding the area on top of the danger just getting there. Anyone that stepped near that area was attacked on site which pegged the question as to how Naruto got his hand on some. He must be very skilled, powerful, or both to pull of such an amazing feature.

"Is there something special about nitro rice?" Kalluto tilted his head slightly as he turned his gaze upon Zeno. Based on his reaction, nitro rice had to be something special.

"Apparently Nitro rice allows individuals to extend their life force upon consumption" started Naruto. "But due to the fact that its heavily guarded by an army of snakes, no one was able to actually see if it actually does what others say it does if that make any sense." He paused for a brief moment as he repeated that last phrase mentally. "Anyway, it adds a unique taste to my food hence the reason why I added it in almost every dish on this table." As soon as those words left his mouth, the Zoldyck family minus Killua began staring at each dish in a different light. Who would casually use something so rare on a casual meal? Was this even a casual meal anymore?

"Just how much Nitro rice did you obtain from your journey?" Maha was very much curious about the amount Naruto brought back from the Dark Continent. He also began to wonder if it was possible to purchase some of it. He wanted to know whether or not the lives wasted on the past voyages was worth it.

Naruto placed a single finger on his chin as he tried to recall the amount of rice he took. "You know what, I'm not sure at all. Everything happened so fast and I didn't even bother counting how many bags I walked away with."

Maha's eyebrow rose at that statement. He had several bags worth of rice and he couldn't recall the amount? Just how much of this stuff did he walk away with? In fact, a better question is what else did he walk away with? Another question was where was he keeping all of this? When he first entered the estate, he didn't have a single bag on him. In fact, he didn't have anything but the clothes on his back. But in the kitchen, he somehow managed to acquire various ingredients that could only be found inside the Dark Continent without revealing how he did it. It was as if he had access to some sort of pocket dimension…. His mind came to a sudden halt as soon as that thought crossed his mind. That would make a great deal of sense. If he had an ability that allowed him to store things in a separate dimension, then he could store a great deal of things from the Dark Continent and accessed it later. When he told them about the 3 years he spent out there, he mentioned that he stored everything he collected in an easily accessible spot. If this spot was really a pocket dimension, then he was essentially carrying around a fortune.

Silva scratched his chin as a thought occurred. "Just a single bag is worth a large fortune. Several bags could make you one of the richest man alive." Naruto slowly shook his head at that thought.

"I have no intention of selling the rice but I do have plans on selling these." He extended his arm forward and summoned a small ore. This time, Maha didn't react. If anything, he was in a way expecting something like this. Naruto did say he spent 3 years in the most dangerous area fighting these creatures and he does possess the ability to store things in a separate dimension if that display was anything to go by. He probably had the trinity elixir, metallion, and the cure all herbs as well. In fact, he probably had an abundance of each desired items. If that was the case, then it wouldn't be long before he had the attention of the V5 and that wouldn't end well.

"I don't suppose you need help selling anything do you?" All attention shifted to Milluki upon hearing this. Milluki on the other hand kept his attention on Naruto as he continued pitching his idea. "I could have some of your items auctioned off on the web anonymously so that you'll be able to get rich without bringing any attention on to yourself. Once your item sells, I could transfer the funds to your account while avoiding complete detection. Of course, all this will be done at a small fee that is. I'll take 25% of the profit." A small grin appeared on his face as he finished that statement. If his family's reaction to these items were anything to go by, then he could make a fortune without doing much work. With that much money, he could add to his already large collection of anime, manga, video games, and figurine collection. Speaking of video games, maybe he'll be able to buy the one that evaded him for so long. Without realizing it, a small drool leaked from his lips.

Several tick marks appeared on Killua's forehead when he saw his older brother's facial expression. It was just like him to try taking advantage of someone else. As if he'd let him…

"You have yourself a deal young man. But instead of 25% I'll let you have 50% instead." Now this caught the attention of everyone present. Naruto proceeded to summon a small scroll in his palm then tossed it to Milluki which he clumsily caught. "Also, I don't have a bank account so could you set one up for me or two maybe. I never got the chance to do so." Milluki nodded his head slowly unable to fully process what just happened. Still, while it wasn't something he expected, it was something he didn't mind. 50% was even better than before.

He glanced over to the scroll in question as he tried to figure out what exactly he was holding. "That is a sealing scroll. To put it simply, it's essentially a small pocket dimension capable of storing things. All you have to do is add some aura to it to unleash its contents thought I would recommend you doing so in a large area. That scroll contains several tons of those rocks. If you wish to reseal anything, just place that item near the scroll and add some aura. You can reuse that scroll as long as it remains intact." Milluki stared at the small scroll in awe. To think this small thing was capable of such amazing features. He had never heard of anything like this before.

"I'm guessing that ability isn't limited to scrolls?" Maha didn't notice any scrolls on Naruto when he entered the family estate and he still hadn't spotted a single scroll on him even as he summoned that small scroll. Unless his age was finally catching up to him and his eyes was slowly failing him, he was sure Naruto summoned it from his body which led him to believe that his body had some sort of hidden storage.

A small smile appeared on Naruto's lips at Maha's curiosity. "You are correct in that regards." He puffed his chest forward slightly, an action that caused Kurapika and Leorio to chuckle. Having spent enough time around Naruto, they knew how much pride he took in sealing and that he would take any opportunity he had to talk about it or at least the basic components behind sealing. One thing they learned about their teacher was that he wasn't as open as he led others to believe. The information he revealed were either irrelevant or minor. Informing others about the existence of fuinjutsu may seem like a bad thing but it didn't matter in the long run due to the fact that fuinjutsu revolved around the usage of a completely different language system. There was also the fact that he was the only one that knew the language thus making him the only one capable of teaching it. To others, fuinjutsu was just a bunch a scribble on a piece of paper. His past history couldn't be used against him since his world probably didn't exist or so he believed. Even if his world did exist, how the hell would anyone reach it? They would probably require fuinjutsu to do so, something Naruto had mastered in ways they could only imagine. Seeing as he was still here on this planet and not back home meant he's unable to return.

"The scroll is merely a medium in which I employ fuinjutsu. I could use just about any surface for storage seals including my body. I have several seals on my body in the form of body tattoos." Maha nodded his head at the explanation. That explained everything. Kurapika glanced over at his teacher when he realized that he hadn't informed that fuinjutsu was not his nen ability. They're probably going to draw conclusions that this was indeed his nen ability. Naruto in turn sent a small wink towards his blonde student which caused him to smile.

"Instant teleportation and pocket dimensions, is there anything else you could do?" Illumi focused his entire attention on Naruto to see how he would react to this. This statement caused the entire family minus a few to turn their attention towards the guest in question. Unlike Killua and Illumi, they weren't there to see fuinjutsu in action.

"Whether or not he decides to reveal his abilities is completely up to him. Besides, everyone is entitled to their own secrets" stated Maha. While part of him was curious about his abilities, he knew better than to prod too much. Besides, if this blonde was anything like Netero which he sure was the case, they would most likely receive half-truths for answers. He was fully aware that he was holding out though that was only natural seeing as they were strangers to one another. "Now why don't we simply enjoy this wonderful meal he prepared. Its very rare that we get to enjoy rare ingredients from the Dark Continent and I for one will take full advantage of this." Without another word, he reached began serving himself. The others simply followed suite without another word.

Illumi retrieved a small slice of cake and placed it on his plate. Using the fork, he made a small insertion and brought a small piece to his lips for consumption. As he bit down into the cake, he noted that the small piece of delight was no longer there. It was as if it didn't exist. A small snicker caught his immediate attention. He glanced in the direction it originated from which came from Gon if he remembered correctly. Following Gon's line of sight, he found the very same cake he was about to eat on Killua's fork. Killua averted his attention to the side as he not so innocently ate his older brother's cake. It was at this point Gon broke out laughing which in turn caused Killua to grin. Even Leorio and Kurapika snickered at his blank facial expression.

Kalluto tilts his head as he stared at Killua impassively. "I didn't know you could teleport as well Killua." That had to be the only reason as to how Killua ended up with Illumi's cake or so he deduced.

"That wasn't teleportation." Zeno had noticed what took place between the duo. "He swapped forks with Illumi through unknown methods. If it wasn't for the slight scratch on Killua's fork, I wouldn't have noticed the switch." Illumi brought the eating utensil closer for a carful examination. It was then he noticed what his grandfather was talking about. It would seem that his grandfather was still as sharp as ever. Naruto released a low whistle. That was pretty impressive to have noticed something so small. This spoke volumes of one's observation skills.

"How'd you do that Killua?" Kalluto's attention remained on his older brother as he awaited his answer. Killua paused as he tried to figure out how to explain it but after a few seconds of pondering he shrugged his shoulders.

"I would tell you that I focused on what I want to switch then add some aura but I doubt that would explain anything. It's too complicated for me to explain it. In fact, I don't even understand the mumbo jumbo behind it." Kalluto blinked in confusion as his mind processed what he just heard.

"It's probably related to Naruto's pocket dimension and his ability to teleport" said Zeno as he mentally filed away that piece of information. Based on Killua's response, he knew this ability was not his nen ability. This was most likely a biproduct of Naruto's nen ability. Naruto probably placed something on Killua's body which in turn allowed him to use that specific ability. He idly began to wonder if teleportation was another ability that could be given as well.

"Damn it Gon" Killua glared at Gon as he not so innocently ate his piece of cake. No one touched his cake and get away with it. This meant war. A small sweat drop appeared on Leorio and Kurapika's face at the scene that took place in front of them. Both Gon and Killua were now utilizing the substitution seal for the sake of steal one another's food. Naruto watched the scene with a small smile. They truly did remind him of his time with Sasuke. That frown didn't last as he found himself glancing in a particular direction. From the moment he arrived at the estate, he had noticed a strong emotion of sadness radiating from this area. Considering what he learned from Killua earlier, he had a strong feeling that whoever that strong emotion of sadness came from was probably Killua's younger sister.

"Her name is Alluka Zoldyck. She was infected with a parasitic creature from the Dark Continent of magnitude power. Because of the danger she possesses, we had to isolate her." Kikyo quickly turned towards Zeno with shock written all over her face. Why would he tell a complete stranger their family business? Before she could formulate that thought into words, Zeno spoke once more. "While we were in the kitchen, I noticed him looking in that direction several times as if he was capable of detecting her somehow. And it isn't just Naruto that noticed her presence." Zeno glanced over to the fox silently eating his meal.

Kurama stopped eating immediately and turned his full attention towards him. **"It would seem that I've become a bit rusty in the art of discreet looking or your observation skills are just that sharp."** He allowed a grin to adorn his cheeks. **"But you are correct human. I did notice her presence along with the creature's own."** It was at this point that his smile went away. **"While I may not agree with it, I understand why you decided to lock them both away. It is human's nature to kill or lock away something you don't quite understand."** The slight bitterness in his tone did not go unnoticed by anyone. If anything, this placed the Zoldyck family minus a select few on the edge. Killua found himself drawn into the conversation like a moth to the flame. The moment Alluka's name was mentioned, he found himself listening to the conversation.

"What would you had us do?" asked Silva. He was one of the few individuals of his family that did not react to the fox's tone. He did not believe the fox would attack them without a cause. It was clearly a creature of intelligence and thus should be treated as such. Still, he was curious as to why the fox reacted the way he did and the type of response he would receive. Considering the nature surrounding the fox, maybe it had something in common with the creature within his daughter. Kurama released a heavy sigh as he managed to calm himself down a bit.

" **There is nothing you could do about the past. Whatever decision you made is irrelevant at this point. What you could do right now is to try understand just what is it you're dealing with before you make further rash decisions. The last thing you need a maniac daughter squishing people to death."** Images of Gaara as a child appeared in his mind. Gaara was definitely one messed up kid before his transformation brought forth by a Naruto ass kicking. Kikyo flinched as images of their previous butlers being squished to death resurfaced. Were they aware of the fate of the previous butlers? If so, how did they come across such information?

Silva paused for a brief moment as his mind absorbed everything the fox said. After reorganizing his thoughts, he turned towards the fox and responded with a simple "very well". Kurama stared at him for a few seconds then turned back to his meal and continued eating. The fact that he gave that thought some consideration was enough for him. Naruto on the other hand blinked owlishly at what just transpired. When he had imagined himself bringing up Alluka and whatever issue that revolved around her, he had imagined anything other than what just took place. He glanced over towards the fox and the two engaged in a silent conversation using various eye movements and subtly body shifts. Once they came upon a decision, the duo disengaged before going back to enjoying a wonderful meal.

Kurapika's eyes lingered a bit as he tried to figure what just took place. When the two broke eye contact and went back to eating, he went back to eating.


	17. Chapter 17

**Zoldyck Estate**

Chains

Naruto blinked in surprise as he processed Kurapika's decision to conjure chains with his nen. Out of every weapon and item that existed, he wanted to focus on chains for his nen type. Strangely enough, that made him happy. He was already learning fuinjutsu form him and now he wanted to use chains, something his clan was all too famous for. He idly wondered if he should learn how to utilize chains or maybe he could simply buy some chains and add fuinjutsu to them. Wait, why didn't he think of that before. Maybe he could dye his hair red as well. That way he could look like an honorary Uzumaki member and wield chains just as they did in the past. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Oh, and maybe he could wear a mask, a fox one preferably. An image of a fox mask with red hair and chains appeared in his mind. That looked pretty cool. Maybe he could even throw in a cloak to complete the look. But what kind of cloak would he wear?

Kurapika's head went down as he thought about the results from the water divination. He had hoped that he would have had an enhancement type of nen to assist him in his quest for revenge. Based on what Naruto had informed them about the benefits of each types, he decided that enhancement was the way to go but fate wouldn't have it his way. Instead, he was classified as a conjurer, something that didn't sound too appeasing. He glanced over towards Gon and the others as they tried to brainstorm what that wanted their nen type to revolve around.

Gon- Enhancer

Leorio- Emitter

Killua- Transmuter

Naruto didn't need any special sensing ability to know that Kurapika was displeased about the results no matter how hard he tried to hide it. He could imagine the thoughts going through his mind right now. From his perspective, an enhancer was exactly what he needed for an avenger. They excelled at physical strength and defense and they were well balanced in a way. An enhancer was capable of walking away from something that would have left a lesser man crippled for life. But enhancers weren't gods and the other nen types were just as useful. Naruto paused for a brief moment as he thought of a way to cheer Kurapika up. It didn't take long before a certain memory resurfaced.

"You know, one of my greatest foes used chains?" Kurapika's head shot up upon hearting this. "In fact, it wasn't just my foe that used chains. Almost my entire clan were chain users and they were very dangerous. Sure, you didn't get the nen type you desired, but conjurers could be very useful too especially a chain user learning the art fuinjutsu. You could reinforce your chains with fuinjutsu to do various things like suppress their aura, electrocute them, burn them…."

Kurapika listened keenly as Naruto tossed out various ideas both practical and impractical. As he continued listening on, he found himself reevaluating his opinion on his nen type. When he first saw the results of the water divination, he had almost forgotten about fuinjutsu. He mentally kicked himself for such a move. Naruto had shown him on more than one occasions just how dangerous fuinjutsu could be by itself and here he was forgetting all about it.

"Try not to be hard on your self Kurapika." Kurapika blinked when he heard his name. It was in that moment that he realized that he had spaced out completely. He blushed a bit in embarrassment. This was definitely something Naruto usually did when he was in deep thought. "You're still young so you'll still make mistakes along the way. Hell, I still make mistakes here and there. No one is perfect nor will they ever be." Kurapika smiled a bit at that statement. It was moments like this that reminded him that Naruto was a sage at one point.

"Naruto, I think I know what I want my nen type to revolve around." Naruto turned towards Killua who was sporting a wide grin. Without wasting another second, Killua touched his fingers together and generated a small spark. Two things happened to Naruto immediately upon seeing this. He first thing that happened was his skin becoming unnaturally pale, something the others noticed right away. The second was a large bead of sweat rolling down the side of his face. If he wasn't convinced that Killua was Sasuke's counterpart before, then this surely did the trick.

"Naruto are you okay?" Kurapika stared at his sensei with a great deal of concern. He had never seen him react this way before. Slowly but surely, Naruto's skin returned back to its normal color.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm sorry about making you all worried for nothing. Anyway, lightning is a very useful ability to have. I was almost killed by lightning users on different occasions so I have firsthand experience as to how deadly they could be." Now this caught the attention of everyone present which amounts to Killua, Kurama, Leorio, Gon, and Kurapika. Kurama having spent 16 plus years sealed inside Naruto knew which individuals he was referring to. Sasuke Uchiha, Raiga Kurosuki, and A were the first names that come to mind on that last. He mentally snickered at the irony of the situation.

"What happened?" Gon moved closer to Naruto, sat down and leaned forward in anticipation. Naruto's sweat drop increased in size at his action.

Naruto paused for a brief moment as he recollected his thoughts about his first brush with death. "Let's see, the first time was with Sasuke…"

"As in your brother?" questioned Kurapika completely interrupting him completely. Naruto merely nodded his head at this.

"Yeah but things were different back then. When we were young, Sasuke had one thing on his mind and it was revenge. Everything else was a mere stepping stone on his quest to kill his desired target." Kurapika flinched at this. He glanced towards his friends as he began to question whether or not he would perform such a deed. He quickly shook his head at such a thought. Of course, he wouldn't do something like that. His hatred was reserved for the spiders and no one else. He slowly returned his attention back to Naruto with a greater anticipation. He felt that this was something he needed to hear as it pertains to him in a way.

Naruto paused his story as the others slowly found a comfortable place to sit. Once they were all seated, he continued where he left off from.

"I don't know if you all remember me telling you all this but Sasuke and I aren't actually related. We are only brothers through our bonds, harsh upbringings, and reincarnation. Anyway, at one point in time, we clashed with one another and Sasuke used a lightning attack called the chidori and as a result I almost died. It was one of the most painful things I've ever experienced."

"What does the chidori look like?" Killua was curious if he could reinvent a technique like that or something similar.

"It looks like a ball of condensed lightning and it was used as a blade which requires you to get up and personal." As to whether or not Killua actually managed to recreate said technique didn't matter to him. If anything, this would be interesting to watch.

"What about the others that tried to kill you?" Naruto sweat dropped once more at how cheerful Gon seemed when asking such questions. He mentally shook his head at this. Gon was truly an interesting person.

"Well there was another guy but he relied on a pair of special swords. He used them to conduct lighting from the skies in which he would strike his enemies down. He wasn't anything special. A on the other hand was pretty scary or at least at the time. He was the huge guy that used lightning to enhance his speed to unholy levels. That guy was almost as fast as me. He tried to kill me via a lightning enhanced close line from hell. I heard that attack is capable of decapitating people." Killua perked up at the last part. Utilizing lightning to enhance one's speed didn't sound bad. Add that to the chidori and you have an epic attack. He mentally added that to his list of things he would learn.

Leorio couldn't help but release a low whistle after what he had heard. "At least I know why you were so proud about being old. The ninja occupation sounds really hazardous." In fact, it sounds like it was much more hazardous than being a hunter.

"Can you tell us more about your time as a shinobi?" Naruto blinked a bit at Gon's request. After hearing about the brief dangers Naruto faced off, he was just as curious about what else he did. Kurama had already covered his childhood leading up to his enrollment in the shinobi fields which was kind of depressing. To have an entire village despise your existence must have been harsh. He wondered why the village hated him. Kurama didn't reveal too much information in that regards. He mostly focused on the embarrassing stuff.

Naruto turned towards Leorio and Kurapika to find them just as interested in his past if their facial expression was anything to go by. Well there was no harm in talking about the past to what the hell. With that thought in mind, he plopped down onto the floor below.

"Ok but first I want you all to get comfortable"

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"You seem to be in a good mood Milluki." Kalluto watched as his older brother drooled excessively as he stared into his phone. As to what could have possibly caused this evaded him. Whatever it was must have been big for him to act this way. Milluki quickly wiped the saliva away from his lips then proceeded to scan the area as if seeking out something or someone. His eyes soon landed on Zeno's form whom was in the process of grabbing leftovers from last night's meal. It would seem that he wasn't the only one that fell in love with the young boy's cooking. He idly wondered if it wads possible to have him cook for the family often. Then there were those ingredients used in the meal. He could see why Naruto didn't want to sell them. They made food taste that much better.

"Ojisan, do you know where Naruto is at this moment?" Zeno glanced over towards his grandson in curiosity. What would he possibly want with Naruto? Did it have anything to do with the special ores he received?

"I believe he's inside the training grounds with his friends. Was there something you wanted from him?"

Milluki nodded his head vigorously. "Yeah, I was wondering if he had more of those stones to sell. Apparently, those things are highly desired on the web. I placed a few pictures of them on the web anonymously of course and there was an instant surge of requests. They were asking for all of it and they were offering big bucks for it. I'm talking several billions of jenny here and that's based on the amount I have." This was the easiest money he's ever made in his life. If he could get more of those ores, he could gain so much more money.

Zeno stared at his grandson for a few seconds before nodding his head. "Very well but I doubt he'll offer you the same deal he's made before. 50% was him simply being generous. The amount he gave you was probably a sample as to what he has stored in total. He was probably curious as to what those ores would actually sell for."

"That's fine with me Ojisan. I'm willing to settle for less. In fact, I'll settle for 10% this time. These things practically sell itself. The only thing I have to do is post them online and watch as the jenny pour in. I also have to give him his banking information. I've already wired 50% of the profit per agreement." Without another word, Milluki began making his way towards the family training ground. Kalluto watched as his older brother made his way towards Naruto's location at rapid speeds. Once Milluki had vanished from view, Kalluto turned towards his grandfather.

"I don't suppose there's any cake left?" Zeno slowly shook his head. He was actually looking forward to some sweats but that wouldn't be happening today or at least until next meal time maybe.

"Killua raided the fridge earlier and ate everything chocolate related. The only thing left from last night is the sushi which I will be personally taking." Zeno opened the fridge and grabbed the remaining leftovers from last night then proceeded to walk out of the kitchen leaving Kalluto behind. Kalluto opened the fridge revealing nothing from last night's meal just as his grandfather had stated. He released a sad sigh.

"Hopefully Naruto cooks tonight again."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"I have good news and bad news. The good news is we have sushi for to snack on for this meeting. The bad news is that Killua ate the remaining cake. It would seem that his sweet tooth is as legendary as ever." Zeno placed the large bowl of sushi on the table as he approached his son Silva and his grandfather Maha. Once he was within an arm's reach, he came to a complete stop. "So, what seems to be the problem?" Approximately 2 hours ago, they received a distress message from the leader of Republic of Padokea, something that rarely happened. Given the Zoldyck's fearsome reputation, the leader had decided that it was best to keep his distance from them unless it was an emergency. Of course, this came at a hefty price as the Zoldyck family didn't do charity work.

"The leader and his entire party have been assassinated and replaced by two unknown individuals. We haven't received any new intel in regards to the situation at hand so we're essentially in the dark. Right now, the general population is unaware of this. Before his demise, one of the party members was able to send one last message via hawk. The attackers were either unaware of this fact or they simply didn't care. Given the nature of the situation, we could assume that these two individuals are highly skilled assassins. Mother has notified us that she will be meeting with these individuals to establish connections between the new leader and our family."

Zeno didn't react at all to that news. He was use to his wife performing bold moves such as this. She was truly a fearless woman which was one of the reasons why he married her. The only thing he could do at this point is minimize damage and get out of trouble if there is any. Maha remained silent as he processed the new piece of information. It would appear that a great deal of changes was about to occur. Whether or not those changes were good or bad remains unclear. Only with time would they be able to tell. A small ringing caught their collective attention. Silva reached into his pocket and procured a small cellphone. After viewing where the call came from, he answered it.

Maha and Zeno listened carefully as he engaged in a conversation with whom they identified to be another family member, Zeno's wife to be exact. The conversation took approximately 10 minutes before both sides hung up. With the conversation ended, Silva placed the phone back into his pocket.

"Haha has made contact with the two individuals who are now identified as Orochimaru and Sasuke Uchiha. It would seem that she managed to forge an alliance with the duo and secured this family political power. This family will now play an active role in governing the Republic of Padokea." Zeno's eyebrow rose slightly. This was definitely a strange turn of events but it was welcoming nonetheless. Depending on the amount of power they gained, they would have much more freedom within this entire region. Not only would they have more freedom, but they would be able to govern the area if needed.

Maha scratched his chin as he thought about the concept of a family of assassins possessing political power. It was something he'd never imagine though it wasn't a strange concept. There had been cases like this in the past.

"What did the two individuals look like?" Zeno was a bit curious about the two individuals more than anything. Its not often you'd meet someone bold enough to assassinate a country's leader. People were usually too afraid of the backlash or consequences that follow suite.

"Haha didn't reveal anything about the two individuals other than the fact that both of them possesses the appearance of that of a child. They appear to be around Killua's age though their eyes say otherwise." Silva paused as a thought crossed his mind. After a quick mental debate with himself, he tossed that idea away. A slight movement in his peripheral vision caught his attention. He turned towards the source to find his great grandfather casually eating a sushi. It was then he remembered the bowl of sushi on the table.

"I wonder if Naruto will cook dinner tonight."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Your brother actually reminds me of Haku in terms of effeminate appearance. When I first met him, I thought he was the cutest girl I've ever seen. As soon as he told me he was a boy, my brain did a complete shutdown." Naruto chuckled a bit as he remembered just how embarrassed he was that day. The others broke out laughing as they imagined his facial reaction.

"I think Haha was hoping for a daughter when she was pregnant with him" Killua added. "When she found out it was another boy, she was a bit sad. Maybe that had something to do with the way he dresses."

"Well given his occupation, it could work for him. People tend to look down on female warriors because they are regarded as the weaker counterpart. Of course, they wouldn't think that way if they met baachan." A small shiver ran down his spine when he thought of her fist of love. The others perked up upon hearing this. This was definitely something they wanted to hear about. A series of beeps caused the entire group to quite down. Naruto reached inside his pocket and pulled out a small cellphone. "I guess I'll have to hold off on story telling. I have some preparations to make tonight."

"You're cooking again?" Drool leaked from Killua's mouth at the thought of his chocolate cake.

"I'll be cooking for the entire duration that we're here."

All throughout the Zoldyck estate, several family members felt happy for reasons unknown to them

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Notes:** The next chapter will most like be a time skip. I don't want to focus too much time on the Zoldyck family since nothing much happens there


	18. Chapter 18

**1 week later**

"So, this is where we part ways." The group of 6 stood outside the Zoldyck family estate as they prepared to go their separate ways or at least for now. They had plans to meet back up within 6 months the world's largest auction taking place in September. For Naruto he would be indirectly visiting both Leorio and Kurapika via shadow clones so it wasn't even a temporary goodbye. The real him on the other hand would be traveling with Killua and Gon to wherever they were heading. He didn't know where their next destination was at the moment since he hadn't bother asking. It's not like he had anywhere to go at the moment. The same could be said for Killua. Plus, by traveling with the duo, he would be able to help them hone skills both nen and combat related. With the amount of experience, he had under his belt, he could turn these boys into something magnificent.

" **Yes brat, we'll see each other at the auction."** This caught Naruto's attention. If Kurama wasn't coming with him then where was he going. As if reading his mind, Kurama responded. **"I'm going to tag along with Kurapika**." This statement caused Kurapika to perk up slightly. Wasn't he best friends with Naruto? What exactly did he want with him? Kurama turned towards the younger avenger as he spoke. **"Think of me as a silent advisor that will guide you in the way of revenge. I know what's it like to harbor hatred as I have experienced it several times in my life. Plus, I could help you refine your chain abilities while you slowly begin the process of establishing yourself in the underground. That way you could continue growing in strength and work towards your ultimate goal."** Kurapika nodded his head in acceptance. That made a great deal of sense. **"I'm also the most experienced with chains from personal experience."** Kurama grumbled the last part. Being pierced by sharp hooks or tied to a giant boulder by near indestructible chains for several decades definitely wasn't his greatest experience. At one point in time, they haunted his dreams every night. But that was a thing of the past now. On the plus side, he did gain a great deal of understanding about chains. With his knowledge and experience, he could help Naruto's pupil out. As to why he would even consider such an idea, he was curious to see how things would turn out and he was bored. He was stuck in a world in which that knew nothing of tailed beasts or chakra and he possessed a completely different type of energy. Speaking of energy, he needed to look into refining his own abilities as well. He wanted to see just what he was capable of now in this world. Maybe he could do so while helping Kurapika out. That way, he was killing two birds with a single stone. That sound like a solid plan.

"I guess I'll be seeing you around the hospital Naruto." Leorio turned to walk away when a forced cough stopped him. Leorio glanced back to find Naruto pointing towards his vest.

"It looks like you've adjusted to your current level. In fact, I think it's time that everyone increased their vest level." Naruto increased his vest level by two levels and felt the difference immediately. Kurapika sweat dropped at this exclamation but complied nonetheless. Both Killua and Gon followed suite though they only went up by 1 level. Leorio chuckled a bit as he brought his vest up a notch. Naruto nodded his head in approval which signified to Leorio that he could leave now. Leorio slowly walked away from the group with a single goal in mind, to become the greatest doctor and fuinjutsu user there is. Kurapika turned towards his teacher and bowed once more before taking off in the same direction as Leorio with Kurama in tow.

Naruto turned towards the remaining members with a grin on his face. "Alright guys, where are we heading next?" Gon shrugged his shoulders as he didn't know where to proceed from here. It was Killua that came forth with an idea.

"Well there's always the Heaven's Tower." Both Gon and Naruto turned towards Killua as soon as he said this which prompted him to continue. Given both of their origins, he knew they weren't aware of what he was talking about. "Its a large battle tower that stands at 3,250 feet in height and contains 251 floors. It's where people go to build a reputation and make some money at the same time. With the number of fighters there, we could go there to hone our skills or at least that me and Gon." Thinking about it now, Killua wasn't sure if Naruto would gain anything from the Heaven's Tower. He was already skilled as it was and rich after giving his older brother Milluki those rocks. Apparently, they were in high demand seeing as they sold out immediately as soon as they were posted on the web. Milluki was extremely happy about the sales that he was willing to accept less money out of the whole ordeal, something he didn't think was possible given his greedy nature. Then again, those rocks were practically selling themselves.

"I'm pretty sure there's still so much I don't know about nen" started Naruto. "Plus, I still have to regain the power level I lost before my arrival. The Heaven's Tower could help my find a path back to that power or beyond that level. Besides, its not like I have anywhere else to go at this moment."

Killua nodded his head in acceptance. Her glanced over towards Gon to see what his opinion was on their decision to travel towards the Heaven's Tower. Gon merely smiled at him and gave him a brief thumbs up to show that he was okay with this decision.

Naruto slapped his fist into the palm of his hand expressing his excitement levels. "Alright, it looks like we're heading towards Heaven's Tower as out next destination." He summoned a small map from one of his various storage seals and presented it to Killua. "Where exactly is this arena located?"

Killua eyed the map carefully then proceeded to point at where the arena was located. Naruto eyed the spot carefully as he mentally calculated the distance from their current location to their destination. After a few seconds of mentally calculating, he turned towards the two boys and smiled.

"It's about a good jogging distance from here. This will give us plenty of time to adjust to our current weight level and practice using our new seals." His grin widened at this proclamation. After many trial and error, he had finally managed to create a seal that allowed him to use henge which gave him access to his entire sexy technique arsenal. While it wasn't what he was hoping for, it was still something none the less. He even applied the henge seal to both Killua and Gon giving them access to a total of 2 seals being the substitution and the henge seals. The grin both Gon and Killua was currently sporting matched Naruto's own perfectly as they thought about the fun they would soon have with their new abilities.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"I think this traffic's affecting my mind" a driver caught in traffic casually said as he rubbed his eyes.

"What makes you say that?" asked his friend as he looked at the driver in concern.

"Well, how else would it explain what I'm seeing." The driver continued watching in disbelief as the event took place right before his very eyes. He had abandoned any attempt to wipe his eyes or wake up form the dream he was probably in. the passenger followed the driver's line of sight to see what he was talking about. It didn't long before he found what his friend was talking about.

"I don't suppose you're referring to the naked chick with abnormally large breasts running from the two hideous goblins right. If so, I think I'm going crazy too." Several individuals watched in disbelief as a naked teen ran from what appeared to be to gnome sized goblins.

"Don't come near me goblin things" Naruto snickered inwardly as he ran pass traffic in one of his many sexy technique forms with both Gon and Killua chasing after him in the form of goblins. The two were currently engaged in a substitution fest though because of their speed and appearance, it was hard to tell for anyone else. Naruto glanced back towards the two boys as he dropped his hand. Using a small hand gesture, he motioned to the boys to switch forms. In the span of less than a second, the image of the trio drastically changed. In place of the naked teen and two goblins were three human size dwarves.

People watched in confusion as three dwarves ran by their cars sporting wide grins.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"So, this is the Heaven's Arena?" Naruto scanned the area for potentially strong combatants he would face against. But based on what he was seeing, none of them would even give him a decent warmup.

"All of the stronger opponents are located above the 200th floor. You won't get much of an excitement until then." Killua didn't want Naruto to waste his time trying to find something that wasn't there. Levels 1-200 was going to be a snooze fest for him. Then again, the same thing applied to Gon and himself as well.

"Osu!" The shout of a young boy's voice caught the attention of the collective trio and a great deal of people standing in line for registration. Naruto glanced over towards where it originated from and for a brief second, he saw an image of Rock Lee. After rubbing his eyes a few times, that image was replaced by the image of a young boy and whom he assumed was the young boy's guardian or master.

"Well someone seems excited." To Naruto, that boy's enthusiasm level reminded him of the taijutsu specialist. Now that was an interesting thought.

"Did you find something interesting about him Naruto?" Killua had noticed Naruto's smile when he looked towards the young boy and was curious as to what could have possibly caused such a reaction. Did he know the boy from somewhere or perhaps the master?

"He reminded me of an old friend I once knew." Naruto returned his attention to the slowly shrinking line while his mind began its journey down memory lane.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Hi, my name is Zushi. What are your names?" Zushi turned back and forth to the two individuals standing next to him. The young blonde was standing next to the elevator operator listening to her as she explained a few things about the arena tower.

"My name is Gon, nice to meet you." Gon greeted Zushi with as much positivity as what Zushi had shown.

"And I'm Killua, nice to meet you." Killua followed Gon's example. "That is our friend Naruto."

"Osu! nice to meet you too."

Naruto continued listening to both the elevator operator and the young boys as they greeted one another. He glanced back to the young boy known as Zushi. Of all the people he's met so far, Zushi was the closest to Rock Lee in terms of similarities than anyone else so far. He had this aura of determination about him and enthusiasm level. He began to wonder if his training resembled that of Rock Lee. Naruto's thought process came to a halt as the elevator came to a complete stop followed by a small ding sound.

"Here we are, welcome to the 50th floor. I wish you all the very best of luck." The elevator operator smiled at the small group of boys as they left the elevator. Naruto turned towards her and waved cheerfully as the doors closed behind. He returned his attention to the three boys just as Zushi stopped completely and turned around.

"I saw your evaluation matches earlier. You guys are amazing." Zushi stared at the trio in amazement. A single chop, push, and pluck was all it took for these trio to defeat their opponents. And to think they were around his age blew his mind.

"Yeah, look who's talking. You're strong too" complemented Killua. He had to admit, Zushi was definitely above the average joes. The fact that he was placed on the 50th floor after his evaluation match said a lot about his skills.

"Yeah, we're about the same skills." Of course, Gon was only talking about his and Killua's skills. Naruto was a different level than both him and Gon. Zushi waved his hand back and forth in a dismissive fashion.

"No, I've still got a long way to go. By the way, which school of martial arts do you follow?" Zushi was very curious as to where these boys studied martial arts. Maybe they studied at a rival school. "Usu! I practice Shingen-ryu martial arts."

Gon turned towards Killua with confusion written on his face. "What do we do?"

Killua merely shrugged his shoulders at this as he responded. "Nothing really." Both Killua and Gon turned towards Naruto for a response.

"I started my training at Konohagakure but ended up with different instructors over time. At one point, I simply trained myself."

Zushi blinked as his brain tried to process everything he just learned. He had never heard of Konohagakure before. Maybe his master would know something about that. He turned towards the two boys as his mind finally pieced together what they were implying.

"Huh, you mean you got this good without anyone teaching you? Usu! I'm a bit shocked. I have more to learn than I thought." To think these two boys were able to become this good on their own was something astonishing. Killua smiled cheerfully at the young lad.

"I don't know what to tell ya."

A small clap caught the entire groups attention. When they turned around, they were greeted to the sight of the slightly older man they saw standing next to Zushi earlier.

"Good work Zushi." Zushi beamed with joy when he saw his master. "You obviously remembered what I told you." Zushi blushed a bit at the praise before he responded.

"Usu! Thank you." It was in that moment he noticed something out of place. "Master, your shirt." The elder man looked down for a bit and chuckled in embarrassment. "How embarrassing of me." He fixed his shirt then returned his attention to the three unknown boys. "Sorry, we haven't met." Zushi blinked a bit as he realized that he had yet to introduce the others to his master.

"This is Naruto, Gon, and Killua." Wing nodded his head in acceptance.

"Nice to meet you all. My name is Wing"

Both Gon and Killua took a page out of Zushi's book as they copied not only his phrase but his action as well.

"Usu!" Wing chuckled at bit at that action.

"I see, I didn't think there would be other kids competing here besides Zushi. You must be quite accomplished if you've managed to get this far. You should always remember to take care of yourself and your opponent's body." This time, Gon was the only one to respond.

"Usu!" Wing turned his complete attention to Zushi as he handed him a small paper.

"Zushi, here is the prize money from your match." Zushi slowly took the small paper as he thanked his master. Wing turned towards the trio once more as he spoke. "You three should head over to the counter to cash your ticket as well."

"Usu!" came the response of the trio as they took off towards their next destination.

"That usu phrase is a bit contagious" responded Killua as they neared their destination.

"Yeah it does seem to catch on" said Naruto. It reminded him of Rock Lee's verbal tick "Yosh". Not that was pretty contagious as well or that's what he thought. He found himself using it various times though nowhere as much as dattebayo. It was in this moment that his brain came to a complete stop.

Both Gon and Killua stopped immediately when they noticed Naruto's complete stop. They turned towards him as he lowered his head down to the floor. Confusion settled upon them as he curled his fist in what appeared to be anger. Before they had the chance to ask what the problem was, Naruto's head flung back revealing a torrent of tears.

"DATTEBAYO"

This startled not only Gon and Killua, but Zushi whom had just arrived next to the trio after receiving permission from his master that he could hang around the trio a bit. Wing had stated that he would continue watching from the audience. Naruto dropped into fetal position as realization settled in. Its been years since he stopped using that word. In fact, within that same time frame, he hadn't as much as thought of that word. It took many years but he had finally managed to suppress his verbal tic that so many of his friends teased him about. But now, it was back.

"Dattebayo?" Gon said this slowly as if testing the word out. His face brightened a bit as he said it again in a cheerful tone. "Dattebayo." It sounded a bit catchy. In fact, it seemed pretty cool like the word usu.

"Dattebayo" Killua repeated the word in which he unknowingly caused Naruto's torrent of tears to increase in size. Not only did his verbal tic come back, but apparently contagious.

Zushi blinked at the scene in complete confusion. He had no idea as to what was going on. The only thing he took from the situation was that word the three mentioned. "Dattebayo" It seemed like a catch phrase. It sounded as catchy as usu. "Usu dattebayo"

Upon hearing both terms used with one another, a dark storm cloud developed over Naruto's head as he continued sulking. He had a feeling that this was only the beginning.


	19. Chapter 19

Victory on the 50th floor- 50,000 jenny

Victory on the 100th floor- 1 million jenny

Victory beyond the 150th floor- Over 10 million jenny

Victory after the 190th floor- 200 million jenny

Naruto mentally filed those pieces of information away for later not that he needed to. With the amount of money he made thanks to Milluki, he was pretty much set in terms of funds. Not to mention the fact that he only got rid of the electric stones. He still had a great deal of items and treasure that was sure to fetch a hefty sum if he went by what Netero told him. He idly wondered what he should do with the items. On one hand, he could wait until the auction and see if he could get a great deal of profit. He's been to various auctions in the past so he wasn't a complete stranger to the customs and everything associated with it. He also learned a great deal about money from his previous master and Godfather Jiraiya. A smile appeared on his lips when he thought about the old perverted sage. He was truly a great man despite all his faults. On the other hand, he could always turn to Milluki to sell most of the items anonymously. But that just didn't sound as interesting. After a quick mental debate with himself, Naruto decided that the best course of action was to keep everything for now.

"What did you do with all that money?" Naruto's attention returned to the trio where he was met with an interesting scene. Both Gon and Zushi were facing Killua as if waiting for a response. He mentally chuckled at himself for spacing out once more.

"That was almost 4 years ago" said Killua as he held up 4 fingers. "You didn't think I have anything left, did you? I spent all of it on snacks."

Gon and Zushi gawked in disbelieve at what Killua had announced. Naruto on the other hand chuckled lightheartedly having pieced together what the entire conversation was about. To think someone would spend 200 million jennies on snacks. Then again Killua's sweet tooth was probably as strong as his ramen addiction. He couldn't even remember how many bowls of ramen he had purchased before his transition into this world. There was also the amount of money he spent to satisfy his addiction. There wasn't a single person other than his late wife Hinata that was capable of eating more ramen than him. Even Choji whom once held the record of most eaten ramen fell to the might of his addiction. He had surpassed all but one in that category.

 _Hinata Uzumaki, the Legendary Queen of Gluttony_

Naruto allowed a smile to appear on his lips.

"Hey, you little kids. Whatcha doing talking like you're a bunch of big shots?" Naruto's ears perked up when he heard a familiar voice. Before he had the chance to turn around, another voice spoke.

"Yeah, 200 million?! Are you kids that conceited?"

"It's the stupid brothers" chirped Gon as soon as he saw the faces of the trio. The trio stepped back in surprise before anger settled in when they realized what Gon had called them. Did this little punk want to feel their wrath?

"I didn't expect to see you all here. What have you three been up to lately?" The three brothers turned pale as soon as they heard that voice. It was only the voice of the most terrifying person they've ever encountered ever. Slowly but surely, the trio turned around where they were greeted to the sight of Naruto's grinning visage. Without thinking about it, the trio took off like a bat out of hell without looking back as to whether or not they were actually being chased. Just the thought of being in the same room as the same boy that took on and defeated the most blood thirsty maniac scared them dearly. Zushi blinked in surprise at the turn of events while Gon and Killua broke out laughing at how stupid the trio looked as they flee in terror. Killua's laugher suddenly died as he realized something about the whole situation.

"Man, this place sure isn't what it used to be if losers like those three could reach this level. If those three are capable of reaching the 50th floor then it makes me wonder just how much the other floors have changed. Talk about a big disappointment." Killua sighed at the situation at hand. Hopefully there were other competent fighters on the upper floors or their trip to this tower would have been for nothing. A bead of sweat rolled down Zushi's cheek at the enraged faces of those within hearing range of Killua's remarks.

'How can Killua be so loud about this?' He could feel the intensified looks he was receiving and boy was it intimidating to say the least.

"May I have your attention please? Will Maita and Chibaba make your way to ring B on the 55th floor? The match between Killua and Zushi will take place in ring A on the 57th floor." Zushi perked up as soon as he heard his name. He stood up and gave Killua a low bow.

"Osu, its an honor to fight you Killua-san." Killua merely grinned at the young boy standing before him.

"It seems that you were unfortunate but I do look forward to this fight. Well, I sure you'll do fine next time. I guess this is my time to get going." Killua slowly made his way towards the ring with Zushi in tow.

"Good luck to the both of you" called out Gon as he watched the soon to be battle combatants leave. Killua paused mid-step and addressed Gon one last time.

"I'll wait for you in the lobby of the 60th floor." Gon sweat dropped at how Killua practically bragged about defeating Zushi right in his face.

Zushi walked away with tears streaming down his cheeks at how Killua viewed him. Then again, he did reach close to 200 in terms of floor levels. That was beyond what he was capable of at this moment unless he used nen that is or that's what his master said. He of course had no reason to doubt his master.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"The match between Zushi and Killua may commence" As soon as those words left the referee's mouth, Killua slowly made his way towards Zushi with a single goal in mind, defeat him with minimal effort. He wanted to keep most of his fighting style and more importantly anything nen related a secret until he reached the upper floors. Besides, its not like he needed anything like that or so he thought. As he approached the young boy, Zushi tensed as he mentally prepared himself. As soon as Killua was within range, he thrusted his fist forward with the intention of striking him down. As his fist closed in on his target, Killua's form vanished from view. A sharp pain was the last thing he felt before he found himself on the ground much to his confusion. He hadn't seen Killua move at all. How did he get behind him so quickly? Was the gap between their strength that wide?

Killua walked away from Zushi's downed form much to the surprise of majority of the audience. Most of them had placed their bets on Zushi and his martial arts triumphing over the young silver haired boy. To see Zushi knocked down so easily was shocking to say the least.

"Critical hit, one point and two for a down" Killua quickly turned around upon hearing this instead of match over. He watched in mild interest and surprise as Zushi slowly stood back on his feet. It would seem that Zushi was a little stronger than he believed. He was the first person to survive his chop.

'It looks like I'll need to add a little more power than usual to defeat him' That was Killua's thought as he slowly approached Zushi whom had just stabilized himself. Zushi watched carefully once more as his opponent approached him last time. This time he began gathering aura to hopefully fend off the next attack. With enough luck, maybe he'll be able to mount a counterattack of some sort.

As if detecting Zushi's aura gathering, Killua quickly reacted. In a burst of speed, he blurred from view only to reappear directly behind Zushi. Using a bit of aura and calculated strength, he chopped Zushi behind the neck rendering him unconscious quickly. The judge waited for a few seconds for Zushi to rise but when he didn't see Zushi move, he declared the winner.

"Winner, Killua"

Killua spared Zushi's unconscious form one last glance before he left the stage. He hadn't expected a nen user this early within the tower. In fact, he had expected all nen users to be in the upper floors. Still, it was a good thing he reacted quickly or things could have gone south. Going against an unknown nen user without a single idea as to what their abilities was not a favorable situation.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Wing watched from the audience as his prized student was carried off the stage by medics. Based on the attack Killua used, he knew Zushi had suffered no damage or at least physically that is. His pride on the other hand had suffered a major blow. This entire matched was one sided. He didn't even land a single attack on Killua and to make matters worse, they were of the same age group.

Zushi was definitely going to feel depressed about that. Still, Killua was no ordinary kid and neither was Naruto or Gon. He could sense the amount of aura the three of them had and it was abnormal for someone their age. Considering Killua's display of skill using Nen, it was safe to assume that none of them were beginners. The timing between the gathering of aura and the well calculated chop placed on Zushi, it was safe to assume that these three were leagues ahead of Zushi.

Another thing Wing noticed about Killua was his footsteps or rather lack of it. The only person he knew that was capable of walking without making a single sound was an assassin and a pro at best. It was a blessing that this young assassin rendered his pupil unconscious instead of killing him. Surely an assassin of his caliber was more than capable of killing in a way that would have led others to believe it to be an accident.

Wing quickly removed all thoughts on what just took place as he made his way towards the medic wing to check on his student. He was definitely going to need motivational speech. He gave Killua one last glance before walking away.

'I'm interested in seeing what else he's capable of'

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"And another opponent falls beneath the might of Naruto's ultimate pluck. This has been yet another spectacular match. Who could have imagined that this newcomer could be so powerful? Just what exactly is this young man?" Naruto yawned a bit as he eyed the fallen form. This was yet again another boring match but based on what Killua informed him, he wouldn't expect much until he reached the 200 levels. Apparently, that's where the nen users were. Every level below 200 were filled with normal fighters. Well, maybe this is the perfect opportunity to up his vest's level. After all, he still had a long way to go before he regained his previous level or at least physically. There was no way he was getting his full arsenal of jutsus back. The least he could do was recover some of them via fuinjutsu. But even that was a bit challenging.

The crowd continued cheering at another wonderful performance. It wasn't often one would come across a small boy capable of plucking grown men and women out of the ring. This boy was beyond normal and he wasn't the only one. Killua, Gon, and Zushi were just as powerful or so they believed.

Naruto turned away from his opponent's unconscious form and walked away with the intention of meeting up with the others. He was sure the others finished their matches as well. Speaking of others, maybe it was time to increase their vest level and train until they reach the 200 floor levels.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **200th floor**

Naruto inhaled deeply then slowly exhaled. "Now this feels more like an arena. I can already feel the tension on this level. The people on this level also feel stronger than the normal man or woman."

Both Gon and Killua glanced around the area cautiously as they tried to find the culprit that was emitting such dangerous aura. If it wasn't for their training with Naruto, they probably would have frozen in place at the mercy of whomever the culprit was.

Naruto directed his attention to the hallway on the left. "I never imagined I'd run into you so soon Hisoka-chan." The dark aura vanished instantly surprising both Gon and Killua. The duo on the other hand perked up upon hearing the dark jester's name. It was hard to forget such a unique individual. How often does one run into a maniac dressed as a jester? Footsteps echoed throughout the hallway seconds before Hisoka made an appearance. A sly grin appeared on his face as he eyed the three individuals especially Naruto.

"Naruto-san, I didn't think I'd run into you inside Heaven's arena of all places. I'd never pegged you as the competitive type. But nonetheless, I'm glad you came here. This place needs a bit of excitement ever now and then." His grin widened a bit at the thought of fighting him again despite the crushing loss. After his defeat during the hunter exam, he went straight into training once more. His match with Naruto revealed several things to him. The first was that he was not as strong as he desired. His match with the sage was a one-sided beat down. The second thing the match revealed were ideas to use his nen in the event that he faced off with a stronger opponent. Speaking of ideas, he was eager to use them again Naruto if they faced off again.

Naruto's attention turned towards the Heaven's Arena work associate as she approached the small group. "Hello Naruto-san, Killua-san, and Gon-san. Welcome to the 200th floor. You have until midnight to register for you first match so while there isn't an urgency to register, I would urge you all to get it done as soon as possible. The receptionist desk is right around the corner." With that being said, she walked away without another word leaving the four hunters.

"It was nice to see you again. I will be seeing you all later." Hisoka slowly walked away until he was out of sight. A small smile spread across Naruto's lips at the prospect of facing someone decent soon.

"Alright let's register right away. I'm curious about how strong the fighters on this level is." He turned towards the direction of the receptionist area and started walking with both Killua and Gon in tow. About halfway to their destination, Naruto noticed three figures watching them from the peripheral of his vision. They appeared to be watching them keenly from a distance. Seeing as they had no intention of making a move, he ignored them for the time being. As soon as they arrived at the desk, they were greeted to the site of a pleasant worker unlike the previous morbid looking one.

"Welcome to the 200th floor. Please sign the registration forms please." She proceeded to procure three pieces of paper for the three contestants. As the three boys signed the paper, she spoke once more. "When would you like to register your first match? As this level, you can have 90 days to prepare for your match. You can pick any date within that time frame. You are also able to fight everyday if you so desire or wait until the last minute. After each match, the 90-day preparation resets thus allowing you plenty of time to prepare. However, I should warn you that should you fail to fight within that time frame, you'll be disqualified and your registration will be revoked. In order to progress to the next level, you'll need to win ten matches in total. But if you lose four matches before then, you'll be disqualified. After winning your 10 matches, you'll be qualified to challenge the floor master."

Naruto blinked as he processed the new piece of information he received.

"What's a floor master?" questioned both Gon and Killua.

"That is what we call our 21 highest ranked fighters in Heaven's Arena. Each of them gets an entire floor to themselves between the 230th and the 250th floor. When you challenge the floor master and win, you'll get an entire floor to yourself and become the new floor master." The female worker beamed in excitement for reasons unknown to Naruto. Still, floor master did sound a bit interesting. With an entire floor, he could place all sorts of fuinjutsu throughout the area to make things interesting.

Gon and Killua on the other hand didn't seem slightly interesting. "Is that it?" asked to the two uninterested boys. A small tick mark appeared on the purple head girl's forehead but despite the small annoyance, she pressed on with positivity.

"Of course not. As a floor master, you'll be able to advance to the highest floor to participate in the Battle Olympia in the Biennial Festival of Combat. Isn't that amazing?" Her excitement level was high at this moment but that didn't last long when she saw Gon and Killua's uninterested faces. The only one that seemed interested was Naruto.

"They're not interested in becoming floor masters or any possible treasure that may come with it" stated Naruto.

"You want to become floor master?" questioned Killua. The worker perked up a bit upon hearing this. Naruto paused for a brief moment before answering.

"Not really, I'm more interested in applying fuinjutsu on an entire floor to spice things up." He chuckled a bit as he thought about the mayhem he could potentially unleash on the unsuspected masses. Both Killua and Gon sweat dropped at his antics. Only he would think of such an unusual reason to become floor master. Would Kurapika and Leorio become like him? Naruto's laugher slowly died and a serious visage appeared on his face, an action that surprised the two boys.

"I was wondering when you three would decide to make a move." Both Gon and Killua turned around revealing three shady looking individuals. "What do you want?"


	20. Chapter 20

"What do you want?" Naruto eyed the three shady individuals cautiously. He didn't need his sensory abilities to know they were up to something and that it involved them. The question was what did three grown men want with three younger boys? His face loss all color at such implications. He quickly shook his head at such horrendous thoughts. He was definitely overthinking things. Still, these three were definitely targeting them. Using their appearance, Naruto mentally assigned the trio nicknames to remember them by.

Electrified scooter man

Snake reject

Pole wizard

It was pole wizard that spoke first. "We're simply here to register for a match. There is nothing wrong about that is there?" Killua narrowed his eyes but remained silent. It wasn't until he noticed how focused they were on the paper Naruto was currently filling out that it clicked as to what their intentions were. He clicked his teeth in annoyance. They were definitely preying upon them because of their child-like appearance. These guys were definitely underestimating them. They were most likely looking for easy victories to get them that much closer to floor master. Killua could only shake his head at their cowardly ways. These trio probably made it to this level by preying on the weak. Heaven's arena standards have surely fallen to such pitiful levels. Killua chuckled mentally at the surprise these trio would experience when they realized that despite his appearance, Naruto was powerful. None of these idiots were capable of matching him not that he'd tell them. It would be way too entertaining to watch instead. He could also make some money by betting on Naruto for all three matches.

"Alright creepy guys, I'll put my availability to anytime so if you so desire, we can fight whenever you want." Naruto turned in his completed form to the receptionist and moved to the side allowing free passage. He was fully aware of their intention with him not that it mattered to him. These guys were definitely below Hisoka's level thus they weren't a concern for him. If anything, this was the perfect opportunity to teach these guys a lesson about underestimating someone just because of their appearance. Once he was done with them, they would think twice before choosing their opponent in the future that is.

The three individuals smiled at this as they made their way towards the registration desk. Gido was the first one to the desk. There was no way he was going to let an opportunity like this slip through his fingers. This was an easy victory for him. Without wasting another second, he quickly filled out the form and turned it in immediately. Both Riehlvelt and Sadaso followed suite eager to add another victory under their belts. In fact, if you include the other two boys, that will make three easy victories. This was a once in a while opportunity that they simple couldn't let pass. A small chuckle brought the trio out of their musing. It wasn't the type they'd expect from a child or any of the children standing around them.

"I guess I'll be seeing you three gentlemen tomorrow."

It was at this point that the three nen users turned towards the young blonde. The sight they were greeted to made them freeze in terror. The image of that easily beatable boy was replaced with that of a grim reaper in human form. Sweat was visible on their collective foreheads.

Riehlvelt swallowed nervously as he stood completely still. His own legs had abandoned all silent plea to move in any direction that would allow him to put distance between himself and the monster standing before him. He idly noticed that his two associates or partner in crime were in the same predicament as him thus they were unable to help him in any way or form. The pressure around him suddenly increased without notice making it nearly impossible to breathe. He could feel his heart rate increasing as time went on by. 'So, this is how I die' was the morbid thought that crossed his mind. To think he would be killed by a small boy that looked about 12 years old.

Naruto continued his intimidation for a few more seconds then stopped right away to see how they would react now that the pressure was gone. He was not at all surprised at what occurred next given how they were reacted to his killing intent. As soon as they were able to, the trio took off like a bat out of hell. Dignity had all but abandoned them. Both Gon and Killua broke out in laugher at the sight of them fleeing in terror. This had to have been the funniest event that took place today.

"I wonder if I overdid it a bit" Naruto turned his grinning visage towards Gon and Killua. His intention was to scare the two a bit before his match with them tomorrow but he wasn't expected their reaction to be this severe. Surely this wasn't all there was to the 200 floor levels considering the fact that Hisoka was a contestant here. There had to be stronger fighters on the floor that was on par with Hisoka if not stronger. If not, he did not see himself staying here for too long.

"I don't think any of them will show up to their match tomorrow after that display" said Killua. The only time he saw someone this terrified was some unfortunate individual that found out that assassins were coming for his head soon. Those individuals were usual his targets. As to how they knew he was after their heads, he still wasn't sure till this day. It was as if someone tipped them off. Seeing as it wasn't anyone in his family, it was most likely the clients. Well, in the end it didn't really matter.

"Yeah, I don't think they'll show up either" Naruto chuckled a bit. "But with my luck, I'll probably have Hisoka as a matchup tomorrow. There's no way he can't resist a chance to fight against me."

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Tomorrow's Matchup**

 **Gido vs Naruto**

 **Sadaso vs Naruto**

 **Riehlvelt vs Naruto**

 **Hisoka vs Naruto**

"It looks like your prediction came true" Given Hisoka's past with Naruto being the hunter exam, Killua was not really surprise from the turn of events. He glanced over towards Naruto who was in the middle of tinkering with rubber ducks. As to what he was planning, he had no idea. What he did know was that whatever it was would be something epic. Knowing Naruto, he was probably placing fuinjutsu on each duck for his match against Hisoka. The question that remained was what sort of abilities would they possess.

"It wasn't hard to predict that this would happen given Hisoka's nature. He's a man that likes to fight stronger people to the death in order to become stronger. If he had the chance, he would probably would have fought Netero. He's a bit simple in that regards." In a way, Hisoka contained some aspects that Rock Lee possessed. Lee was always looking for stronger opponents to face off in order to prove that even those that lacked in the ninjutsu or genjutsu department could become a splendid ninja with just taijutsu alone if that person worked hard enough. Of course, their desire to fight stronger opponents was the only thing those two had in common. "When are you guys going to fight?" Naruto soon received his answer when the tv displayed both Gon's and Killua's matchup.

 **Gido vs Gon**

 **Sadaso vs Gon**

 **Riehlvelt vs Gon**

 **Gido vs Killua**

 **Sadaso vs Killua**

 **Riehlvelt vs Killua**

"I'm guessing the receptionist created these matches based on the availability those idiots chose." Killua chuckled a bit as he continued. "Looks like we'll be getting 3 easy wins right Gon?" Killua glanced over towards Gon's direction for a response and was greeted to a strange site. "Gon, what exactly are you doing?" Gon stopped mid transformation and turned to Killua.

"I'm improving my transformation speed and nen training at the same time. I want to transform as fast as Naruto and improve for the upper level matches." Gon turned towards the mirror once more and began transforming different areas of his body while Killua pondered over Gon's words for a few seconds.

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea" stated Killua. He was nowhere near Naruto's level right now but that didn't mean that he shouldn't try to strive to something that was close. With that thought in mind, he upped his vest's level and began his own separate training.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **The next day**

Naruto scratched his head awkwardly as the crowd expressed their current feelings ranging from anger to displeasure though mostly anger. It would seem that his three victories due to the contestant's failure to show up had triggered such actions which was completely justifiable. They had after all paid good money to see someone fight or in many cases, placed some bets on the match. Considering the amount of anger, he was currently sensing, it would seem that majority of those bets were placed against him, the newly young contestant that just arrived in the 200 floor levels. The only people that gained anything on those bets were most likely Gon and Killua. Speaking of which, Naruto glanced in the direction the two boys were in and sweat dropped at what he was seeing. Both Gon and Killua was grinning from ear to ear while munching on various foods and chocolates while nearby audience glared daggers at the duo. They were probably aware of the duo's winning bets or something along those lines.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Coco watched from her viewing window as the crowd displayed their displeasure verbally especially those whom lost money betting. For some unknown reason, none of the trio showed up today and no one knew why. Did someone perhaps eliminate them in secrecy.

"Coco-san, we've just received word that the three contestants packed up and left last night" stated one of Coco's assistant. Coco blinked as her mind absorbed the new piece of information. Once the information was processed, she grabbed the microphone and relayed this piece of information to the crowd.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I've received word that contestants Gido, Riehlvelt, and Sadaso has left Heaven's Arena yesterday night. As a result, they will have to restart from the 1st floor if they are to compete again. In the meantime, let's move on to our next match which is Hisoka vs Naruto." Coco could only shake her head at them. Those three had worked their way up to where they were and now, they were at the bottom once more. Well, whatever the reason was must have been big. Did someone perhaps threaten them or did they receive a large amount of money to leave? Well none of that mattered at this point. Its not like she'd magically get the answer to those questions. She turned towards one of her assistance once she was done her announcement.

"Has anyone seen Hisoka? I need to know if he's going to make an appearance for his match or not." Hisoka had failed to show up to his prior matches before simply because they were boring to him. Hopefully this was not one of those times again. If that happened, the crowd would no doubt lose their minds and the Arena's reputation would no doubt take a hit. People would begin to question whether or not fighters in Heaven's Arena was committed to fighting.

"He's making his way on stage now Coco-san" answered one of her assistance. Coco quickly turned towards the stage just as Hisoka stepped on.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Hisoka was sporting a wide grin as he eyed his opponent carefully. This match was definitely something he was looking forward to ever since he discovered the fact that Naruto had shown up at the Heaven's Arena. In fact, this was mostly what he was thinking about other than his match with Kastro but that match just wasn't as excited as this match. Unlike Kastro, Naruto had a great deal of skill and experience in battle. There was simply a large gap between the duo that would never close anytime soon and that's what made Hisoka excited about. Fighting stronger opponents and killing them always brought delight to him thought he had a feeling that it would be a long time before that happened when it came to Naruto. After all, Naruto did state that he would be increasing his strength to regain what he lost.

"It seems that we get to have that rematch again Hisoka-chan." Naruto allowed a grin a spread across his face matching that of Hisoka. "I made some special preparations for this match. Just think of it as a hazard for the two of us or a means to spice up tonight's match."

Hisoka perked up a bit at the mention of preparation and hazard. Just what did Naruto prepare for this match? Memories of his fuinjutsu madness during the hunter exam resurfaced immediately. Considering the fact that Naruto was a fuinjutsu specialist, there was definitely some fuinjutsu involved. Since he mentioned the fact that it was a hazard for the both of them, it was safe to assume that the fuinjutsu was designed to affect both of them. He couldn't see Naruto as a type that would deceive him for something like this as there was no point.

Naruto turned towards the lone referee. "As soon as the match begins, you should definitely leave the match or you'll end up with quite some injuries." The referee nodded his head though he didn't really understand what this boy was talking about. What he did understand was that Hisoka was very dangerous and ruthless to his opponents. In his mind, this kid was as good as dead. If he stayed in the ring, there was a chance that he could get caught in the crossfire thus he had no intention to remain after the match begins.

As soon as he passed on the warning to the referee, Naruto returned his attention to the jester look alike standing in front of him then proceeded to unseal an arm full of rubber ducks. Hisoka's eyes zoned in on one of the ducks taking everything into detail. There were various markings on each duck which confirmed his theory about Naruto using fuinjutsu. The question that remained was what exactly did these things do? He would find out soon enough.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Coco smiled cheerfully at the fact that Hisoka had actually showed up to his match which was a good thing considering the amount of angry people in the audience. The last thing they needed was a fourth winner by forfeit match. It was in this moment that she realized something. Gido, Sadaso, and Riehlvelt also had matches against Gon and Killua as well which meant that there was going to be 6 more winner by forfeit matches to come.

Wait a minute

A contestant only needed four defeats before they were sent back to ground zero which meant that those matches were canceled by default. Coco mentally pumped her fist in the air at that fact. There definitely won't be a riot tonight. She returned her attention to the duo standing in front of one another as they exchanged words. Based on their facial expressions, it would seem that this match just might be a little interesting. It was rare to see Hisoka smiling like this before a match. He actually seemed interested in this match. But what could be so interested about a little boy? Maybe there was more to this kid than meets the eye. There was only one way to find out.

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Begin"

As soon as those words left his mouth, the referee left the match as recommended by the younger fighter. He did not want to get caught in any possible crossfire that may occur soon. With the referee out the ring, Naruto was free to begin his plan. Hisoka watched as Naruto tossed the rubber ducks in the air spreading them around evenly. His curiosity peaked as the ducks began rising at various levels creating what could only be described as a minefield surround them. With his plan set in place, a large grin spread across Naruto's face.

"Alight Hisoka-chan, the field is all set and ready to go. Now we may start the match. Also, I would advise that neither of us touch any of these ducks or it will be quite painful." Hisoka shivered in delight upon hearing these words. This was already starting to sound even more interesting. Light amber eyes scanned the area once more in an attempt to commit to memory the location of the ducks. If what Naruto said was true, then he needed to make sure he didn't bump into any of these ducks. Naruto on the other hand did the same. Various plans of actions were generated with each passing second.

The audience watched in complete silence as the two competitors scanned the arena in silence. This was the first time any of them witnessed something like this. Majority of them were curious as to what those floating ducks were capable of. Since fuinjutsu was not something of this world, most of them weren't aware of the significance of the symbols adorning each duck with the exception of a select few.

As soon as Hisoka was confident in his memory of each duck position, he returned his attention to Naruto whom was waiting silently as if waiting for him to attack.

"Were you waiting for me to attack first Naruto-san?" Of course, Hisoka knew the answer but he just wanted to confirm it.

"Of course, I was Hisoka-chan. Let's see how strong you've gotten since out last encounter. I hardly doubt someone like you sat around as I increased my own strength." Hisoka didn't respond to that. Instead, he withdrew two cards from his sleeve and got into battle position. At this point, there was no need to exchange anymore needless words. Right now, it was time to exchange blows. With that thought in mind, Hisoka launched forward with the two cards in his hands.


End file.
